


boys/boys/boys/copycat

by wingsofstarlight (CheshireCatLife)



Category: Captain America (Movies), Marvel Cinematic Universe, Shingeki no Kyojin | Attack on Titan
Genre: Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, Crack, Crack Crossover, Crack Relationships, Crack Treated Seriously, Crack and Angst, Everyone Is Poly Because Avengers, Foursome - M/M/M/M, Grumpy Old Men, M/M, Multi, Polyamory, Polyamory Negotiations, Time Travel
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-09-17
Updated: 2018-09-17
Packaged: 2019-07-13 16:00:10
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 7
Words: 26,995
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/16021250
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/CheshireCatLife/pseuds/wingsofstarlight
Summary: the past is my fear,the future is my wrong,time is my enemy,time is my friend,the past is burned,the future is ablaze,the future is my friend:because the future has you.[Steve and Bucky are finally in a place they want to be but when the Tesseract makes a reappearance, they find that they may have been missing something all along.]





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> Hi. I'd like to thank all of you for even getting to this point in the book. This is a crossover, so I'm not expecting a huge audience or anything but I really hope that you who like both Attack On Titan and the MCU enjoy this.
> 
> WARNING: although this has been edited, it has not been beta'd so sorry for any mistakes.  
> NOTE: *_* is the same as italics, as the formatting doesn't seem to translate properly.

**_THE PAST IS MY FEAR_ **

The dull roar of silence wrapped the room under its mantle whilst Levi, pacing slowly back and forth, watched with evident contempt as Erwin furrowed his brow and closed in on the foreign object. Lips pulled down into a frown, Erwin inspected the box with distaste, tracing a single finger over the edge of the luminescent cube, careful to keep his fingertip from touching it.

"I wouldn't get so close to that fucking thing," Levi warned as his feet came to a halt, eyes challenging Erwin to disagree. Erwin sighed, ever nonchalant towards Levi's irascibility, and gave Levi a poignant look. "I'm not going to touch it, I'm fine," Erwin sighed as Levi scoffed but didn't argue. Erwin continued, favouring to ignore Levi, and leant down, squinting at the somewhat ethereal glow that pushed at the edges of the box, casting a hazy glow around the perfect cube.

"Any more ideas about what it could be?" Erwin was a man who prided himself on his ability to think outside the box, to solve a challenge or puzzle with relative ease; his inability to solve such a simple problem unnerved him.

The blue box, only just larger than his fist, had appeared from nowhere, sitting proudly on his desk. He'd found it that morning, still groggy from sleep and had immediately alerted the guards, only to be informed that there had been no activity that night: no movement, no shadows, nothing out of the ordinary. The one who left it there, he could only deduce, had to have been a professional. The only man that Erwin thought was capable of pulling off such a mission was Levi himself, who appeared to be just as clueless as he was. Painfully, Erwin admitted to himself that finding the culprit was not going to be an option and with that left aside, there was only one question remaining: why was it here?

So far, only Levi and Erwin were aware of the box's existence and with only two of them to solve the puzzle, progress was discouragingly slow. Their guesses - if they were even that - were getting slower, more sporadic, each more fallible than the last.

“It could be a bomb?” Levi suggested, planting himself a far safer distance away from the box than Erwin.

"It would have gone off by now."

"Unless they want us to think it was safe before it went off. More casualties." Erwin winced at Levi's surety (he hated to think about Levi's past: what he could do, what he knew, because of it).

"I don't know, it just doesn't seem right." Erwin pinched his nose between his thumb and forefinger as he shut his eyes and just tried to think - logic had never failed him before.

"Could be a message?" Levi added.

"In what language? There's no writing, no symbols." Erwin could feel his temper beginning to fray.

"What about a warning?"

"For what? It is not related to anything we know of; if someone wanted to warn us of something, surely they would give us something that made sense."

"Not if it was meant for someone other than us."

"It's a possibility," Erwin capitulated but it was evident that Erwin was dismissing the idea. Hearing each idea, Erwin could feel that familiar tug in his stomach that told him something was off and if Erwin didn't know any better, he would have ignored it but by now, he knew there was no better survival tactic than instinct. Erwin was a decisive man, there was no room for maybe's, he would know when an idea clicked.

Levi stared at the man with worry, watching as Erwin wouldn't (couldn't) take his eyes off the box, Erwin's ideas scattered and undecipherable as he sifted through his temperate mind. Levi watched, pained, before finally taking the courage to step towards Erwin and with a gentle hand, cupping Erwin's cheek and forcing the man's gaze away from the puzzle. Erwin would have once laughed at the way Levi had to roll onto the balls of his feet just to bring himself to Erwin's lips but as the softness touched his own, Erwin's mind went gratefully blank. Levi was limited in his affection but it never failed to bring a smile to Erwin's lips, separating the man from the mask, the man behind the Commander. Pulling his lips away from Erwin's, Levi spoke softly, "we'll figure this out, Erwin. If anyone can, it's you."

Erwin nodded, his eyes softening. "That may be so." It was a reluctant capitulation but it was enough. He paused a moment before adding, "thank you." He didn't need to say what for, that much was clear.

With a deep breath to collect his thoughts, Erwin cut the dialogue to an end and gave his orders, sick of curating more and more erroneous ideas, coming to a quick decision. "This needs to be kept as low profile as possible but we need input. Get Hanji, she'll think of something we haven't. And Mike, he deserves to know too." Levi nodded and took the orders with ease, pressing one final kiss to Erwin's lips before leaving silently - something Erwin had long since gotten used to.

Erwin had nothing left to distract him and with an almost unbridled desperation, his focus was back on the box, examining the corporeal-esque light inside. To an optimistic mind, they might have said that the box was burning with life, the blue light winding its way blindly through the ocean of black. For someone like Erwin, though, he couldn't help but be drawn to the darkness that spilt like ink, curling in on itself, twisting and turning with no motive, no mission. It was a perfect balance, Erwin realised, as he took in the box in its entirety; for each black tendril, there was another ribbon of light. They were not curling in on themselves but around each other, promising both sides of the coin: good and bad, the darkness and the light.

The knock on the door shook him from his stupor, his head turning to the door as he called a decisive "come in", his voice echoing back from the flimsy wooden panels of his office. He expected a disgruntled Levi to storm in, forced to knock for the sake of Mike's sanity, who took respect for his superiors fairly seriously (he should have known, then and there, that too little time had passed for Levi to come back), so when three fearful-looking teenagers barrelled in, he was unpleasantly surprised. He'd already had his mind set that no one else was to see the box - no more than necessary, anyway - and these three cadets, no matter their importance, were not in a place in which they were needed.

"Eren, Mikasa, Armin," Erwin acknowledged with a nod to each of them. The three of them glanced at each other awkwardly, both Armin and Eren unpleasantly fidgety, to the extent that even Mikasa's waves of calm were forced into tribulation. In the dire silence, Armin took the chance to examine the room, watching the walls intently as the blue haze washed over them. When he finally saw the source of the light, unable to quell his curiosity, he asked: "what is that, sir?" Immediately, the other two cadets focused on the box, each with their own expressions of confusion and curiosity.

Erwin sighed, turning away to keep up the facade of composure, his eyes unable to stray away from the box like it held his attention in its grasp, suffocating it. "Sorry, that's classified," Erwin apologised insincerely, almost short of breath as he stared at the blue hue, panic entrapping him (that had to mean something, he was sure of it). Shaking his head to escape this torture, he turned. "Was there something you came to ask me?" He asked, ignoring Armin's disgruntled frown, despite his empathy towards the boy's curious nature (even if there was still a deep-rooted fear that the boy would be put in harm's way for his own inquisitiveness); he'd always hoped that the Survey Corps would be a place for it to be safe to ask questions when it was often not behind their suffocating walls. The Survey Corps was a family in their own odd, militaristic way. Nevertheless, he couldn't answer Armin - the awareness of the box's existence could still be recognized as a danger.

Eren was the one to speak up, his voice loud yet shy - for all the boy's bull-headedness, he often flailed in front of his superiors. "Um...Levi told me to come to you this morning. He said it was urgent." With ease, the box was forgotten as a new mystery came to light.

Erwin looked up in confusion, thick eyebrows furrowing. "Are you sure?" He asked, scanning the three teenagers for a trace of a lie - an ulterior motive, maybe.

"Yeah, it sounded important," Eren continued, biting his lip to quell his nerves. Quietly, Mikasa placed a reassuring hand on Eren's shoulder, smiling gently. Like Levi, if she was going to show any compassion, it would be through actions and not words.

"I'm sorry but there must have been a mistake. I can assure you that everything is fine here. Unless you have anything else to add, you're dismissed," Erwin ordered harshly, he was in no mood to talk to three insecure cadets. Despite their confusion, the teenagers backed out of the room, their departure, unfortunately, coinciding with the exact moment Levi stormed in, an excitable Hanji at his side, Mike calmy following behind.

"What are the brats doing here?" Levi covered his worry with irritation, looking at the three of them with disdain.

"Levi," Erwin warned, albeit pointlessly - Levi did as he liked, regardless of orders (it seemed to be a personal favourite to call his inferior's names). He attempted to beckon Levi to his side, there was no need to keep the three young cadets here, they had a task to attend to.

"You sent us here," Eren appended, looking at Levi with unmistakable confusion, watching warily as Levi stepped forward with a frown, his eyes narrowed ominously. "No, I didn't," Levi corrected, eyebrow's furrowing in an exact imitation of Erwin, just another example of the unmissable - damn right obvious, really - bond between them.

"You did, sir," Armin corroborated, "during morning training." Steel-grey eyes locked onto Armin's with a dangerous flash. "I wasn't at morning training, it was cancelled." Levi snapped; he had always found himself able to impose himself with ease so it was no wonder that Armin was already backing away, hands trembling.

"We don't mean to be rude," Mikasa added, facing down Levi with a courage that only an Ackerman possessed, making up for what Armin lacked, "but you were. If you need confirmation, our squad will corroborate. You were there," she confirmed assuredly. She sighed and pondered for a moment before adding, "although, if I may add something, there was something odd about this morning. There was something...different about the training routine. Teamwork is usually our focus yet all we really accomplished this morning was running through some basic exercises, as if we were trainees again." Mikasa added nothing more, casually (attentively) monitoring as Levi's expression changed.

Levi took the next steps carefully, looking at Erwin for advice, his face portraying nothing but easy nonchalance but his body tense, as if ready for a fight. Erwin glanced quickly at each of the cadets and nodded definitively. "I think it's best you three stay here. Something's happening and you might be involved."

"Is it to do with the box?" Armin asked, glancing - was that with hope? - at the box that held the focus of the room.

Erwin took a step away, letting the room see the box in its entirety, nodding. "It has to be. I don't believe this can be a consequence." Levi scoffed but remained silent otherwise, remaining vigil.

"What is it?" Armin

"That, we don't know. There have been no reports of activity on the grounds overnight so we have one of two options. Either, whoever put it here has professional capabilities that are almost unheard of," the almost rang loud and clear throughout the room, evident of just who its subject it was, "or, it came from an inside source. The second idea was dismissed only because it seems nonsensical for someone within the Survey Corps to send us something so...enigmatic but it is a possibility nonetheless.

The seconds that followed held a heavy silence, thick with swirling emotions. Confusion masked the underlying worry that no one could deny, emphasised by the cold light emanating from the cryptic source. Hanji took a step forward, pulling the goggles off her head and putting them over her eyes with a harsh snap. Squinting, she examined the box scrutinously before taking a step back with an awed grin. "It's beautiful. Completely indecipherable but beautiful. It's like it's...magic. And don't go me wrong," she added hastily, "I don't believe in magic but there is something here that science can't explain."

"Does that mean you have no idea what it could be?" Erwin sighed hopelessly. Hanji shrugged, willing to soften the blow with uncommon silence.

Armin led in next, taking his own look at the box. "Does it link to the Titans?" Armin frowned, looking to Erwin for an answer.

"We don't know. If I'm honest, we don't know anything. We're treating it as a threat but for all we know, it's a gift. Nothing about this is adding up," Erwin replied. With another sigh that permeated throughout the room, seeping through the cracks in the dull wood, Erwin glanced up and noticed Eren's wary expression. "Eren?" He asked, approaching the boy. Eren's head snapped up, fear blazing in his green eyes that blazed like Jealousy. "Can no one else see that?" Eren whispered, leaning in, watching the cube with a child-like fascination. The cube remained the same, planted securely on its spot on Erwin's desk (which had long since fallen into detriment but Erwin had no need to spend their funds replacing it), still emanating the ominous glow that had long since lost its effect on the room.

Erwin's pale skin glowed grimly in the blue light as he turned to Eren, looking down at the box for signs of change.

"The faces," Eren continued, wide-eyed. "The faces, they're moving. Talking...I think." Eren leaned forward, green eyes shifting to a peacock blue as he traced a finger over the blue haze surrounding the box. The rest of the Survey Corps members backed away, watching with fascination as a tendril of blue light flashed like lightning and fastened itself around Eren's finger like a ring (they all ignored Hanji's squeal as she jotted another note on Eren into her frayed notebook).

"Hello." Eren kept his voice quiet as he watched the light twist, snake-like, further around his index finger until it was pooling in his palm, playing with the natural creases in his hand. Eren returned his attention to the box, eyebrows drawing into a frown as he looked at whatever was on the other side. "What are you?" He asked, ignoring the incredulous stares of his friends as they watched him talk to what was - in their opinion - nothing but a mystical box: something most certainly not sentient.

A short gap held the group's attention as Eren listened to whatever was being said on the other side. "I can't. We don't know it's safe," Eren argued hesitantly.

In the bleak blue of the room, the silence was impenetrable with anything but their steady breaths. Eren nodded hesitantly before addressing the room, head swinging towards his feet in what looked like shame but couldn't be anything more than fear. "There's man," he started before muttering "well, I think he's a man, on the other side of," he points vaguely at the box "whatever this is. He says that if we touch it, we should transport to his location. He says he can answer our questions." Eren looked back at the box with just a quick glance, looking somewhere between hopeful and disparaging. Fear burnt through his blood like fire, adrenaline palpating his heart erratically.

An icy cold settled over the room as silence once again conquered the room, each of them just as reluctant as the last. Erwin was the first to speak, the ever-present neutral mask sitting more comfortably on his face. "Do you think he's trustworthy?" Erwin asked, gazing at the box rather than Eren like he was trying to see the man - or so it seemed - on the other side.

"He seemed sincere," Eren evaded before continuing. "He said he wouldn't hurt us, at least, no unless we attack first."  

Erwin raised an eyebrow. "There's more of them?"

Eren nodded. "I see about...five people? Probably more, the picture is small."

"Can you ask something for me?" Erwin continued his interrogation with an ease that came alongside maturity, speaking again once he'd been spurred on by Eren's nod of approval. "Can he tell us what the box is first, what it does?" Without a word, Eren complied and approached the box, the thin thread of light reconnecting with his palm as he asked, "did you hear that?"

Eren nodded a few times, processing whatever information he was being given. "Its name is the Tesseract. He says its a portal of sorts because it's...sentient?" Eren explained incoherently, barely understand himself. "He can explain more if we come through." He added. "He said that, not me." Eren amended quickly.

Erwin was barely listening, raking a hand through the blonde tresses of his hair, staring distantly out of the window, watching the slow breeze knock around the leaves. The dissociation of it permeated him with an uneasy calm but allowed him to sift through the arguments and make a reasonable conclusion.

Without hesitation, Erwin stood in front of the box and held a palm over it, pretending not to be awed by the way the light illuminated him. "If this is what it takes for answers then I will do it. The furthest we can go is somewhere outside the walls and I'm sure they have horses if we have to make an escape," he turned to the rest of the group "and that will most likely be necessary. So," he took a breath, scrapping up some courage "if you don't want to, you do not have to join me. This could be a trap for all of us, I can't guarantee you your lives." Erwin hated the way his stomach rolled the way it did every time he made a melodramatic speech. He hated how the severity of his words had become truth and somewhere in his heart, he wished for the innocence of youth again when a speech like this would have been laughed at for its gravitas. "I am not commanding any of you. This is your choice."

Levi didn't even wait to step forward, placing a hand over Erwin's as a silent comfort. Despite their 'platonic' relationship, everyone was aware of their intimate, fleeting touches. They drew a strength from each other, that much was clear. Levi was as much Erwin's protector as Erwin was Levi's saviour. It only took one look from Levi to understand his intentions; he could almost laugh at how clear the words were in his head despite Levi's muteness (wherever you go, I go too).

Eren was next, being the instigator, and pressed a trembling hand atop of Levi's (he wasn't really meant to, he knew that, but he had no idea where else he was supposed to put it) causing a bubbling Hanji to follow suit. Mikasa - ever Eren's protector - joined, forcing Armin to do so as well. That only left Mike, who heaved a sigh and took a single step forward. "One day, I'm going to stop following you into hell, Erwin." Mike smiled at Erwin like only a friend of a decade could.

"Yet you always do. And hey," Erwin smiled, ignoring the surprised (almost awe-filled) gazes of the younger cadets: it sometimes scared him how much they saw him as a god in comparison to them. "For all we know, this might be a leisure trip." Erwin shrugged but smiled wider when Mike added his hand to the pile, plunging their hands down into the light, encasing them with the most beautiful light any of them had ever seen.


	2. Chapter 2

**_THE FUTURE IS MY WRONG_ **

“Buck, get up. We need to go.” Bucky groaned, burying his face into his pillow. It wasn't like he wasn't ready to get up at a moment's notice - he'd long since learnt to wake up without the dreadful grogginess that had so often followed him in his youth - but after a nightmarish night, having woken up on three separate occasions to nightmares and having little more than two hours sleep, he really wasn't in the mood to be woken up. 

Steve's arms carefully winded themselves around his midriff, one slipping up until it was running through his overgrown hair. "I know it was a bad night but Vision's called a meeting," Steve apologised, "says it's urgent. We were supposed to be there a while back, didn't want you going in there like a zombie, though." Steve, ever the martyr, completely ignored the fact that due to Bucky's nightmares, he'd had even less sleep, having carefully watched for signs of another one each time Bucky settled back into a fitful sleep. "But, you don't want Tony coming in, do you?" Steve smirked. "Not again, at least." Bucky chuckled under his breath. Tony, though he had long since forgiven Bucky for 'the event he couldn't control and *Steve I'm trying to apologise here, stop smiling*', had taken up to petty pranks in order to get under Bucky's skin. The last time, unfortunately, Tony had decided to wake them up at ass-o'clock for a 'treat' which involved having to listen to modern pop music (which both he and Steve were pretty apathetic towards) at the three in the morning for the sake of 'research'. 

"Fine, fine," Bucky yielded, heaving himself upright and relishing in the sweet feeling of Steve's fingers running through his hair. "I'm never going to be able to get out of bed if you keep doing that, you know?" Steve smiled cheekily but let his hand drop, watching as Bucky rummaged for an outfit (plain black everything, Bucky was too tired to really think about fashion but he did purposefully choose the t-shirt that was a little too tight just to throw it back in Steve's face for all the time's he wore his workout gear) until he finally got up himself and got dressed himself.

Despite how slow they took the morning, they got the meeting room before anyone could collect them but were nevertheless the last to arrive. The group, consisting of eight of them - though it fluctuated regularly - sat around the table, agitatedly focusing on the humming emanating from the centre of the room. Steve, taking his seat next to Bucky, stared at the box with contempt, grimacing. 

"The Tesseract," Bruce observed unnecessarily, a flash of green passing over his face, fading before anyone could truly worry. In an act of silent solidarity, Steve took Bucky's hand. Bucky remained on edge despite his lack of knowledge. Hydra may have been tampering with him when New York went into battle the first time but he'd been reading up enough about the recent past to know exactly what happened (and why Steve still had nightmares about it). Not only that but he also knew that it was Hydra who had first taken the box into custody and tried to use it as a weapon of mass destruction so, in turn, Bucky knew enough to hate it. 

Tony's face, although relatively impassive, held a splash of anger and anxiety that didn't go unnoticed as he shifted closer to Peter protectively (whose knowledge consisting of knowing that this thing was bad, probably, he had no proof of that. However, he did have to remind himself not to touch it. Seriously, it was fucking beautiful.)

Natasha and Clint already had a hand on their weapons when Vision carefully picked up the cube and presented it to the group. "You are correct, Bruce. This is the Tesseract. I am unaware of how it came to me but having been in proximity to it since midnight, I am sure it is of no harm to us. And whilst we are trying to keep the infinity stones under our protection, I thought it best that one of you protect it for I am already in possession of the mind stone and to have one person in charge of one stone is...dangerous, to say the least." The group nodded, a judicious silence filling the room. They glanced between each other, silently marking people who were either capable or incapable of the task. When no one else made a move to take it, Tony held out his hand expectantly (he had been on the list of incapable for about half the table but no one really had the heart to argue when he looked so determined). With a sigh, Vision placed the cube in Tony's hand. "It is yours, Mr Stark. I hope you understand how it important it is that you keep it safe." Tony nodded, an irregular flash of stoicism passing over his features.  

Steve spoke up next, brows furrowed. "Is no one curious as to why it's here. Shouldn't it be in Asgard? Or gone, anyway. Just not here." Steve tried to mask his trepidation with sheer force of character but everyone could see the way Bucky had to clutch his hand tighter to reign him in and settle his trembling hands. "How do we know it's safe?" Steve added, briefly showing a vulnerability that he far too often hid. The Tesseract only meant awful things for him. Once Red Skull had held it, just after Bucky had died, just before Steve had died himself. And then New York. God, he still had nightmares about New York. 

Interrupting his thoughts, Vision replied. "I'm not sure as to why it appeared, Captain, only that it appeared at midnight, exactly. It wasn't placed there, it simply appeared. But, I can assure you that it cannot do anything dangerous. I can sense its power: it's barely there. Something in the stone is shifting but it is not about to attack it is simply preparing to...move something." Looking at the group's befuddlement, Vision continued. "I think it may be trying to act as a portal. Not for us but rather for someone to come to us. Touching it so far has not brought me to them so I believe that is meant for those on the other side." Tony dropped the box immediately, staring at it warily. 

"Then how do we know it's not dangerous?" Natasha piped in, inspecting the box from afar, having stood at some point, a knife making its way into her hands. "If someone's going to come through then we should be prepared."

"Maybe so," Vision capitulated, before adding "but I think not. Those on the other side are humans, I know that much. From Earth too. It may be best to prepare for a fight but I cannot help but feel, from watching them, that we are going to have no problems. They are just as confused as us, that is the only thing that makes them dangerous." The group accepted his words but remained vigilant, each keeping an eye on the box whilst they continued.

"Watch them?" Steve asked, one hand still encased by Bucky's whilst the other - white-knuckled and clenched - was planted firmly on the glass conference table. 

"I can see them in the box. I'm aware that you may not be able to as I think that it may be another ability of the mind stone." Vision vaguely rubs his thumb over the yellow crystal, frowning. "For now, I've only seen one or two people through it so we have good odds." 

"Okay," Steve replied, standing. Pulling his hand gracefully from Bucky's, he let his features take on a familiar gravitas and settled into his role as Captain. "Take the Tesseract to the training room. From there, we can wait for these people to come through, if they do at all. Be prepared for a fight but do not expect one. We will try diplomacy before a fight, even if that's not really a forte." He gave himself a self-deprecating chuckle, before finalising his small speech with a simple "let's go." The group nodded and separated, Bucky the only one to trail after Steve as they headed straight to the training room (with them sharing a room, there wasn't enough storage for them to store their gear in their room so they kept it in the training room despite Tony trying to install a new wardrobe. If anything, it was quite handy having it where there were also a lot of weapons and not just a gun tucked under both their pillows.)

When they arrived, Steve opened the door and let Bucky through first (ever the gentleman) revealing the stark (ha, Stark) interior of the training room. Weapon racks lined three walls, the other a pane of glass that led to the viewing area, one table pushed up against it where they could prepare, clean and take care of any weaponry they used. Fluorescent lights shone unforgivingly down onto the pair as Bucky began to tug the straps of his uniform over his simple getup, pulling on the goggles and mask but letting them hang around his neck before he put them on. He was aiming for severity in his appearance, even if he hated wearing the *muzzle* (because that's all it was) for it. If there was a threat coming, he needed to be the Winter Soldier, not Bucky Barnes. 

Turning to look at Steve, who was pulling on his Nomad costume (it looked a lot more imposing than the silly red, blue and white costume from before, even if it held significant value nostalgically), he asked "are you scared?" a gentleness forming on features despite the dark aura that his Winter Soldier getup suffocated him in.

Steve sighed, pushing his hand through the final sleeve of his outfit. "I don't know, Buck. I don't like not knowing what to expect. We almost always know who the enemy is and if we don't, it's always a surprise during battle, not something we prepare for. It all feels too sudden. It feels like we've had peace for a while now." Steve displaced the line of thinking as he approached Bucky, his fingers playing morosely with the gear hanging around his neck. "Do you really need to put this on?" Steve had never gotten over the way it instilled him with fear.

"Yeah, Steve. I need to be the Winter Soldier for this. I'm not letting you get hurt because I'm not being careful. I won't put the eye makeup on or anything. Once they're off after this, they're off. No leftovers. Bucky Barnes will be back. If I'm being honest, I also really can't be bothered: it's a bitch to put on." Steve laughed gently, albeit humorlessly, and ran a thumb over Bucky's cheek. "Okay," he capitulated, "just for today." Taking a step away from each other, they snapped into position. Pulling himself upright, Steve's face set into unbridled determination - a force of nature, he was - whilst Bucky let his eyes glaze over and brought the assassin he tried so vehemently to hide to the skin. Immediately, he could feel the Winter Soldier greet him, forcing a hostile takeover upon him, letting Bucky only take enough control that he wouldn't kill Steve. With a blank gaze, he pulled the goggles over his eyes and the mask over his mouth, rendering him speechless: ready to comply.

Slowly, the group emerged with Tony arrived last, trailing slightly behind his new apprentice Peter, with the Tesseract in hand. Vision motioned for him to place it on the table and with the fear that still lingered, it didn't take much to coax him onto relieving himself of it and setting it on the flimsy plastic of the tabletop.

The group huddled into formation, Steve at the head and the rest creating a 'V' behind him. The only one missing from their tactics was Vision, who was glancing at the box with a combination of confusion and pleasantness. Trailing a finger across the edge of the blue haze, they were all surprised to see a slither of light (not unlike Thor's lightning) connect to Vision's fingers before trailing like water in his palm and pooling gently. Vision, peering down at the box with a smile, spoke. "Hello. My name is Vision." The group, with varying degrees of success, tried to hide their shock, all unsettled by their lack of ability to see anything on the other side (very few of them *didn't* think of the possibility that Vision might have finally been malfunctioning). "I am a sentient piece of artificial intelligence built by Mr Stark," he explained, seemingly answering a question that none of them had heard. "I have information to say that if you touch the box you will be transported to our location. Do you think you are able?"

The pause filled them with dread.

"I can assure you that we will not harm you, not unless you harm us. We are curious, though. This box, I'm assuming that is what you see too, has many bad connotations to us. We are curious as to why we are being connected." Vision took a breath and smiled. "If you come through, I can answer whatever questions you have in detail. I promise again, we will not harm you unless our hands are forced." The boy on the other side must have nodded because Vision was pulling himself away, still staring at the box with a focus that only someone slightly un-human could possibly attain.

No one thought that Vision was going to speak again until his voice filled the room, frightening them into deadly stillness. "The box is named the Tesseract. For now, it is acting as a portal, connecting us. We are not sure why but only you are able to come to us and not the other way around. Inside the box, there is a sentient being, one that can manipulate space. I can explain more when, if, you're here." 

It appeared that whoever was on the other side had stopped speaking when Vision turned and addressed the room. "It is up to them not whether they come through. There at seven of them in total if all of them come through." The group nodded unanimously.

"How long do we have to wait?" Tony asked impatiently, the creak of metal screeching as he tapped his foot up and down rapidly. Tony didn't like waiting, too much of a waste of time (also known as, dreadfully dull). 

"I believe they are choosing to cross. The wait shall not be long." Tony nodded and placed a calming hand on Peter's shoulder, who was radiating a little too much anxiety for Tony's comfort.

When the group appeared, they seemed to do so from nowhere. The Tesseract flashed out of existence, only to appear once again, falling from the group of layered hands. The new group only took a moment to glance at their enemies (supposedly) before they peeled themselves apart and into formation, an edited mimicry of the Avengers. The boy in the second row stepped forward first to speak, messy hair scattered from the transportation, green eyes blazing with unnecessary (yet potentially serviceable) determination. "Are you Vision?" The boy asked, indicating to the AI. 

"Yes, I am." Vision remained out of formation and at the head of the group. As leader of negotiations (as an already established point of trust), he would only return to his place when necessary. "And you?" Steve was ever more glad to see the passivity on Vision's face as he addressed the group of lightly armed soldiers, as if he himself wasn't surrounded by seven most definitely heavily armed soldiers.

"Eren. Jaeger. Member of the Survey Corps as well as a...Titan shifter," he replied hesitantly, anxiously glancing at his Commander before hurrying back to his place in the formation. The cadet, Steve noted, was new. And had a sort of power, from what he could deduce. That could prove both dangerous and useful.

With his team behind him, Erwin stepped forward. In light of the arrangement, Vision moved away and let Steve mimic the action, the two right-hand men trailing behind their charges. "Erwin Smith, Commander of the Survey Corps," Erwin announced, holding out a hand as a hopeful sign of future unity. The faux confidence he held himself with masked the bubbling fear that threatened him; he was getting good at ignoring his churning stomach nowadays, he had no time for fear. 

Steve clutched the hand in front of him with unnecessary force but smiled nonetheless. "Captain Steve Rogers; alias, Captain America. The leader of the Avengers." Steve watched in amazement as they compared each other. Their dominance formed in similar ways, a kind smile (Erwin's was fake, Steve was sure of it, he'd seen it enough in the mirror), a tension that came when you faked bravery that originated in the shoulders and ran down their elongated spines. Erwin Smith, Steve realised, had an uncanny resemblance to him. With heights that matched almost perfectly, they also had almost identical bone structure and features that felt like looking in a mirror. The man was in no way Steve's doppelganger but he most certainly could have been used as a stunt double. 

Steve let the man's hand fall just as a noise arose from behind him. Almost hidden by the bulk of the blonde Commander, the short, raven-haired man looked at Steve with, by no means masked, contempt. The man hid behind his hair, just as Bucky had learnt to do with his, but it was cut short, with an undercut, the fringe the only thing that made him capable of hiding his eyes. The man stepped out from behind Erwin and protected what Steve just noticed to be a missing arm (without a prosthetic. Steve hated how much that made him desperate to help, to tell him that they could get him a new one, that he didn't have to suffer in silence. Men did that, a little too much. Steve would no, the forties weren't kind.) with a confidence that could have only come with practice. 

Bucky followed the directive and took Steve's side, glaring from behind the blacked-out glasses as a dangerous glint passed over the short man's steel-grey eyes. Levi snorted. "Should have known that some kind of copycat would follow you one day. It's probably been his dream to meet you one day." 

It was most definitely not the right thing to say.

Without hesitation, Bucky pulled the mask off his face and pulled the goggles off his eyes and let them hang around his neck (suddenly, he was much more aware of the fact that this would have been much better had he put the eye makeup on). "Be careful who you call a fuckin' copycat," he spat, ignoring both blonde men's look of intrigue as they stared at the two severe, shorter men (even if, in height, Bucky still beat Levi by a mile). 

"Well, he is. They look fucking identical." 

"Who said it wasn't your *Commander*" Bucky sneered "that copied Steve." Bucky took a dangerous step forward, looming over the smaller man. "Buck," Steve warned, "now is not the time." The man slowly drew himself back and placed himself at Steve's side, a scowl ingrained on his lips. Levi did not move until Erwin said his name as well, forcing Levi back to his right, armless side. 

The debacle was interrupted by a large squeal, from a woman who seemed to have broken formation, enraptured by the cabinet on the wall. "Oh my, this is amazing! Have you ever seen anything like this?" She asked, turning to the rest of her team. "Look! I just hover my hand over it and the door opens like it can just *detect* my hand being there. Hanji awed over the simple modern technology known as an automatic door with a little too much force to be seen as normal. Nevertheless, Tony couldn't reign himself in when he scoffed, "what, have you never seen an automatic door?" 

"A what? 

“Wait, you actually don’t know what an automatic door is?” Tony asked, gobsmacked, pausing to look at Bucky and Steve who, despite their confusion, smiled at the similar reactions to new technology (Bucky especially, despite his quietness, he often had a freak out when it came to new technology. Nothing had ever managed to take that away from him. Apart from the arm, but even that only did so much and that was a conversation for another time.)

"Guys..." Natasha spoke slowly, capturing the attention of the room. She had a tablet in hand, staring down at it with an expression that meant she was trying to hide her own reaction. "I think I know who we've found." 

The Avengers warily inspected their opposition before crowding around Natasha, looking down at the Starkpad. "The Survey Corps," Natasha began, “part of a hidden civilisation in England. The place was set up in the early 1800s to protect a race of people from prosecution but over two generations, they managed to wipe out the outside world from people's knowledge and trick the inhabitants into believing that they were the only ones left on the planet. They hid behind three walls: Maria, Rose and Sina. Outside those three was one more wall, still unnamed, where their prosecutors used a special serum to turn people into giants, known as Titans, in order to attack the walls. In 1943, Commander Erwin Smith and six of his subordinates disappeared without reason, never found - even once the civilization had been liberated in 1951. Commander Erwin Smith was known as the best Commander of their time, a strategic genius who reimagined warfare and wiped out more Titans than ever with the least amount of casualties the Survey Corps had ever seen, which, looking at the figures, was quite a feat.” 

"So, what?" Tony said. "We've found some people from good ol' Cap's time that disappeared. What are we supposed to do with that? And seriously, what the hell is up with 1940s time travellers?" 

Steve butted in with, "we're not time trave-" before Natasha spoke over him. "That's what we've found, yes." Natasha continued her forensic watch of the Survey Corps members, splitting her attention between the screen and the bustling members, each stuck in their own paralytic shock. 

"Are you saying that we've been fighting humans rather than Titans this entire time?" Erwin added, muscles tense to the point of agony. A decade's worth of secrets had just been revealed by a book-like, glowing screen by a woman he did not know as if it was not a war that cost a thousand lives. Who was this woman, anyway?

"Yes," she answered simply. "We can answer more questions later but for now, can we know the rest of your names. It doesn't list here who exactly went missing." She brought up a notes page on the Starkpad and looked out at the crowd expectantly.

Erwin, still in a haze of shock, having already given his name, motioned for Levi to speak. "Captain Levi. Ackerman, maybe." None of them were quite sure how he managed to sound so belligerent without a glimpse of inflexion in his tone but he managed it - no one questioned the questionable last name.

"Mikasa Ackerman. No known relationship to the Captain."

"Armin Arlert."

"Eren Jaeger."

"Squad Leader Hanji Zoe. Next in line for Commander and scientist for the Survey Corps." Erwin frowned and looked back at the scientist. "What? You think I haven't read your paperwork. Also, for someone who writes letters, you should really neaten up your handwriting. Oh wait, I take that back. Left hand. Right." Hanji trailed off, not noticing how Erwin had long since lost interest in her and motioned for Mike to pipe up over her.

"Squad Leader Mike Zacharius." Natasha nodded gratefully as the last name was said, promptly imputing them into the text file. "Titan shifter?" She asks simply, looking up at Eren.

"I can change into a Titan, or a giant as you called them, at will. Well, when I can control it."

"Can you describe your other form?" Natasha's smile was neither comforting nor reassuring.

"Tall, between 4 and 50 metres in height. Large mouths. Well, large everything. It's kinda hard to explain..." None of them quite managed to cover the fear of a boy who could turn into a giant as tall as the Avengers at will. Or, even worse, a boy who couldn't control it at all.

"You can't control it."

"Don't worry," Eren said urgently, "I can easily stay human. It's just sometimes a struggle to get into Titan form." Natasha nodded and smiled at Eren, who must have been only around Peter's age (therefore, roughly 15, maybe a little older) and motioned to Bruce. "This is Bruce Banner," she introduced. "He has the power to turn into a Titan too, although not the kind you are familiar with. He has experience controlling it, although a little more the other way around, and he may be able to help." Eren nodded gratefully. 

She sighed as she looked down at her tablet once more, glancing up at the group sympathetically. "I'm sorry," she apologised before she began, her chest constricting tightly, albeit that her face remained impassive. "After you disappeared, there's no recollection of you returning. To meddle with timelines is dangerous. I think from here on in, you're stuck here. I'm sorry, we wouldn't have told you to come through if we've known that it would be irreversible." None of the Avengers spoke up, surprised by the compassion Natasha was showing but not daring to cut her off. 

When she looked to be done, Steve stepped forward, looking calm but unthreatening. "I think Natasha's right. We don't know what could happen if you were to return now. I'm truly sorry. But, if you're here, I think its best that you know where you are. It's 2018 and you're in New York, America. I'm assuming the fastest mode of transport you had was horses so its probably easy to say that from where you were to here, it would have taken weeks, if not months. Even that would be impossible as you have to cross the ocean." Steve didn't miss the abrupt excitement that seemed to radiate off some of the younger members at the thought of the ocean, and even a mild contentment within the older veterans. "Know you're not alone in this," he added determinedly, before breathing a humourless laugh. "Both Bucky and I were born in 1917 and 1918 respectively. I became a soldier in my 20s and after a story that's too laborious to explain, I was woken 70 years later after being frozen in the Arctic Sea: it was 2012. I apologise again, I know what it's like being out of your time and also for our initial hostility. The box that brought you here, the Tesseract, has been a symbol of danger ever since I fought a group named Hydra in 1942. But now you're here, as long as you mean us no harm, I promise we'll try and help you. It is your choice where you go from here but," Steve glanced at Tony, "this tower is open for your use. It certainly has the room." Tony scoffed and muttered something about being scraped dry before the focus was back on Steve. He gave them all a wan smile, his heart aching from memories he thought he'd long gotten over. "Welcome to the future." 

The Survey Corps, still paralysed with something akin to shock and fear all at once, hesitantly looked between themselves. Erwin stepped forth first, the grief of being forced into unknown territory (permanently, they could only assume) unable to hide beneath the mask of valour he wore (so similar to Steve's). 

"Thank you. I cannot say that this is easy for any of us but the knowledge that we are not alone means a lot to us. Your hospitality is appreciated." It's clear from then that Erwin has had his fair share of awkward experiences and forced formality; it also becomes clearer than ever why he keeps Levi at his side.

"Your welcome." Steve smiled again, relieved to see that the tension was, partially, leaving the tall man's shoulders.

"Before we decide, though, I'd like more information. We've been fighting for years, some of us decades, I think its time we know the last pieces of the puzzle." Steve nodded and motioned to Natasha, who was still scrolling quickly through the hive of information on her tablet. 

The group, still wary and mistrustful, huddled around the foreign object and listened as Natasha read aloud the horrors that the Survey Corps' country had suffered. He didn't miss the smiles, though, when Natasha read aloud that it was Jean Kirschstein, who had taken the role as leader of the Survey Corps, had salvaged the country from its fear-led exclusion. 

As Natasha came to an end, this mystery, for the most part, solved (with the exceptions of small details), the Survey Corps began to disperse. The Avengers, who had either left or began working with the weaponry (cleaning and caring for rather than shooting, for the comfort of their new housemates) joined some of them, Erwin and Levi deciding to follow after Steve and Bucky (an oddly bad mimicry of themselves). Hanji followed after Tony, who was taking the Tesseract down to his lab for examination (along with Vision) whilst the young trio soon began joking with Peter as if they'd known each other years and not seconds, only a depiction of how Peter had missed people of his own age (something they'd try to give him but it wasn't the same when they didn't know half of his life).

Despite the complicated situation and the unnerving anxiety that threaded throughout the two groups, the Survey Corps was miraculously quick to integrate themselves, none of them suggesting once that they were going to go elsewhere.

The almost maze-like quality of the corridors (without JARVIS' help, it was rather difficult to navigate but it felt too early to introduce him to the newcomers) forced the Survey Corps to stay at the Avengers side but only made the integration efforts even quicker, which - as Steve knew - would be the most vital part of this mission (it showed how much Steve understood in the way he thought of it as a mission). 

Erwin couldn't resist the soft smile that overcame his lips when Levi muttered a quiet "huh, this place is actually clean" (meaning that it was immaculate) and the realisation settled in with a discomfiting ease: they had, just this once, an actual chance of freedom.

A chance of happiness.


	3. Chapter 3

**_TIME IS MY ENEMY_ **

Steve led the four of them into his own apartment, now (by default) Bucky's too. It was, in simple terms, palatial; large windows spanned the whole of the furthest wall, revealing the skyline of New York; the left-hand wall held the largest TV (not that any of the four of them really knew what it was) that any of them could have imagined; in the centre of the room, there was a living room set up consisting of a large, plush couch and two old-man armchairs (as Tony described them); the kitchenette was on the right just as you walked in, taking up the back wall, composed of a bunch of modern technology that, again, none of them quite understood. All in all, it was definitely a 'Stark apartment' in all definitions of the word and didn't fail to impress the visitors, even if they held it behind a facade of imperviousness that slightly unsettled Steve. 

Leading them in, Steve spoke first. "Feel free to make yourself comfortable.  I know all this future stuff is kinda daunting but if you just ignore it a bit, it won't be as bad." 

Bucky scoffed. "Ignore him, he tries to ignore all his problems. Fiddle around with stuff if you want, it'll feel less foreign. Oh, and the name's Bucky, also from the forties." Steve tried to ignore the wince at how *dead* Bucky's voice sounded as he practically glares at the new pair, hurrying into the kitchenette and hiding behind the low hanging cupboards, scratching at the uncomfortable straps of his costume. Bucky sat himself down on the stools of the breakfast bar, which separated the kitchenette from the living room, turning to his side as to not let the two newcomers out of his sight. Bucky, in similar discomfort to Steve, fully pulled off his mask and goggles, dropping them onto the table with a heavy thud and running a calloused hand through his hair, tugging at the knots. 

Bucky's silence lasted for minutes, impenetrable, as Steve made himself a coffee. Bucky didn't stop scowling at Levi and Erwin, for reason's unknown to Steve, watching how they interacted and how every now and then they'd smile at Steve like he was the light when he went to join them, sitting in one of the armchairs whilst they took places on the sofa. He didn't move from his spot on the stool, even when a conversation was struck up and although it was clear that the two men weren't interested in talking about feelings, they were very happy to hear what Steve had to say about the future and how he adapted to the change (even if, in Bucky's opinion, he did it very badly, from what he'd heard from the other Avengers). Bucky continued to watch, seeing each little-hidden smile and awe-filled eyes. It was what Steve always managed to do, drag people into his little bubble of patriotism that was all a front to cover up the little brat hiding underneath yet was still so full of sincerity that made Bucky wonder whether he'd read Steve wrong all along and that it was with *him* that Steve changed himself. Levi remained silent throughout but Erwin was happy to voice his questions: he had a good grasp of how to use language to his benefit, using charm mixed with the simplicity of militaristic speech to completely entrance Steve. 

Bucky could see it on Steve's face. It was not just the new pair that was captivated by Steve but the other way too, Steve finally had someone to relate to him, to empathise with him in a way that Bucky just couldn't quite do. Someone who hadn't lived through the decades but missed them. 

Bucky hated it.

Staring at the pair enviously, he muttered "I'm going to get changed," before stalking out of the room. Although it was most definitely an excuse to leave, he really did want to get this suffocated suit off his body; he didn't know how Steve was coping in his, which was far warmer with its fleece lining. 

Steve stood up, giving their guests a mumbled apology before going to Bucky, quickly calling out behind him, "just shout if you need anything." 

Hurrying down the corridor, Steve went into their room (the corridor split off  from between the kitchenette and the living room, containing three doors, the left was the master bedroom, the right was the guest bedroom and the furthest was the master bathroom with an en-suite off to the side of the master bedroom), shutting the door quietly behind him.

"What the hell, Buck?" He hissed, trying to keep the volume down. "What's gotten into you?"

"Really? You have the guts to sound fucking exasperated with me, Rogers? Fucking typical," Bucky spat, crossing his arms petulantly and falling onto the bed, glaring at Steve, who was still standing in front of the door. 

"Seriously, what is with you today? First, you insist on wearing your gear, which you know I hate - the one you said you wouldn't wear again, I might add - and then you go and storm out when I'm trying to help people. People who are just like us."

"No, people just like *you*, Steve. Not me." Bucky's face fell as he took a deep breath, eye falling to the left side of Steve's face (unable to meet his eyes, that always happened when he was scared). "You've finally found what you were looking for."

"And what was that?" Steve asks, still looking angry, arms folded just like Bucky's. 

"People like you. People that, I don't know, grew up when we did and then just magically woke up in a new century. And don't spew bullshit about me being the same, I remember what I was when I was with Hydra, I was aware. I didn't just wake up in this century, I also lived through the last one." Bucky turned away from Steve and started stripping down (he had long since lost his dignity, being partially naked in front of his partner wasn't that big of a deal), peeling off the layers of his uniform, feeling the ease in which was to breathe without it. 

Bucky found the most comfortable pair of sweats and one of Steve's t-shirts, if only to fuck with the guy, before he sat down on the bed again, staring intently at the floor. Steve still hadn't moved. 

"What's this really about?" Steve asked, moving to sit next to Bucky, still in full gear, wrapping an arm around his shoulders. Bucky didn't move it, he was desperate for anything to calm his raging thoughts. "Buck, please," Steve pleaded, using his spare hand to cup Bucky's cheek and force him to meet his eyes. "Just say it, it doesn't matter if it's stupid or nonsensical, just say it, I can't watch you do this to yourself." It's only because Steve knows Bucky so well that the words come out at all, just the right ones too, their eyes met in a battle of wills that Bucky was destined to lose from the beginning.

"You're going to get rid of me, aren't you? Replace me. God knows you should have earlier. I'm not worth the effort your putting in and its just...the way you look at them, it reminds me of when you saw me again and there was just so much hope, like you knew then that you had to help. But, not that I remember it all that well, also something else. Like you'd finally found something you'd lost." Bucky gasped for air at the run of words that had just spewed from his mouth, no filter, no care, so unlike the Winter Soldier that he almost feels relieved. 

Steve blanched, staring down at the man next to him with the most worried expression Bucky thought he'd ever witnessed. "It's just, the way you look at them," Bucky continued when Steve didn't speak up, "it's like you...like you care about them. Like you care about me." Love, he meant. Steve knew that. 

Bucky hated this. He wasn't jealous, per se. He just couldn't lose Steve, not again; he didn't know what he'd do without Steve. Die, probably. That shouldn't surprise anyone. 

"Buck," Steve began, choking on his own words already. "I'm...I'm not going to replace you. Never think that." He hated (God, he *hated*) when Bucky did this to himself, torturing himself like he wasn't worth anything when in Steve's eyes, he was everything. They were in love (when would that ever drill into Bucky's head?).  "It's true that I care about them but not in the way you mean. Yes, their situation is more similar to mine than yours it. Yes, I want to help them. Yes, even, that if you weren't here, maybe, I would go further with either of them," Steve always thought that honesty was the best policy with them, "but you're here so I'm not going to do that. You know I won't. Because I love you."

Damn Steve and his stupidly fucking good speeches and his perfect words and knowing just what to say to Bucky. "But you've only just met them," Bucky whispered into Steve's shoulder (somewhere, along the way, they'd found themselves wrapped in each other's embrace), "and you already feel this way, what...what if it grows into more?"

"It won't. And if it does, that won't matter because I'm with you 'till the end of the line, right?"

"Yeah. With you 'till the end of the line too, pal," Bucky agreed, feeling lighter already. 

"Just you and me, you understand that, right?" Bucky nodded. "Good, because it's true. Anyway, do you not see the way they look at each other?" Steve tagged on, letting Bucky burrow further into the conjuncture between his neck and shoulder. He felt Bucky's face scrunch up before he shrugged. "Whether they admit it or not, they love each other. I would recognise that anywhere." 

Bucky peeled himself away from Steve, frowning. "You sure?"

"Not 100% but it seems impossible that they're just friends. They...they remind me a lot of us. Back in the day: hiding." 

"Yeah," Bucky breathed, "I guess they do." 

Deciding to change the topic, Steve asked. "How are you feeling now? Okay?"

"Yeah. Thanks. I'm sorry, I just-"

"You don't have to explain, Buck. I get it."

"I know," he whispered in return, wrapping his arms around Steve's neck and pressing his nose to Steve's shoulder, breathing in the familiar, sweaty scent (anything to get away from that clinical scent that still clogged his nose). He let a small smile play on his lips. "And get that uniform off, it stinks. Wear something comfortable; I feel uncomfortable just looking at you." Steve huffed a laugh but complied, slipping into a simple checkered shirt and jeans, purposefully ignoring Bucky’s belligerent sigh at his choice of outfit (he was allowed a few old man things, not everyone adapted to the 21st Century as well as Bucky had).

Watching Steve change, Bucky decided to add slyly, "so you sure you don't like that Erwin guy? I mean, I was thinking, at this rate, you just had a thing for one-armed guys, Stevie." Bucky smirked, intentionally holding up his metal hand and wiggling the fingers. Steve rolled his eyes playfully but quickly slid his fingers through Bucky's metal ones, trying to hide the worry bubbling beneath his skin. Humour (a defensive mechanism for Bucky as much as it was for most people) unsettled Steve and seeing this portrayal of Bucky's lack of self-worth only set him further on edge. Steve (in his own irrationality) was clearly doing something wrong, or feeling something wrong, at least. Maybe he was a little too close to Levi and Erwin already? He'd only known them for an hour, though, surely that wasn't long enough to be close to them. And he was sure, at least quite sure, that he felt nothing (much) for either of the new members. He’d just met them, for God’s sake. 

Yet, the pull was undeniable; Bucky was right in saying that Steve had finally met people who were just like him. Steve had been thrown into a new world, a new culture, with no warning, the only one of his kind except the thinning population of nonagenarians who Steve could no longer relate to nor talk to. Or if he did, would lose them, inevitably, within a year or two.

Erwin and Levi, along with the rest of them (although Steve had to admit he felt a lot closer to those two than any of the others if for their similarity to him and Bucky), were just like him: thrown into a world so different from their own.  He trusted them, without reason or sense, and maybe that was what most dangerous.

"I can see you thinking," Bucky said, filling the silent void that had wrapped around them. Steve sighed, tugging a hand through his blonde hair. "Stevie?" Bucky continued when he was met with silence, exhibiting a rare show of vulnerability (it often came out when they talked about something hard, Bucky was still trying to wrap his head around, cope even, with any emotion at all) as he watched Steve torture himself as he evaluated each and every action, second-guessing himself, feeling guilty for actions that were not wrong to begin with. 

Steve, as if knocked from a reverie, threw his hands back to his sides and hid his anxiety behind a gentle (false) smile, leaving to go join the other guests with a mumbled "I'm okay, Buck"; at least the mindless chatter would distract him from his own rampant thoughts. 

Bucky, once again, was left alone in the bedroom, contemplating his own words. Steve may always know what to say, years worth of acting courses and public speaking and stupid politics, but never quite knew what to say. Steve knew how to throw a punch, to fight back but when it came to caring, Steve had nothing to draw from. For a moment, Bucky hated himself again; he'd opened up and it backed fired. For what felt like the millionth time, it felt like honesty really wasn't the best policy.

His heart palpitated a thousand times a second, his chest constricting until he was trapped in the cage of anxiety, his breaths coming at uneven, staccato intervals. Fuck, Bucky was a mess; his metal hand gripped his sweatpants, ripping them at the seams, his flesh hand trembled like it did the first time he'd used a sniper, his head felt like he was floating whilst simultaneously dragging him towards the ground. 

Steve was better off without him.

Steve, despite his quirks and lack of finesse, when it came to caring for someone, was better off without him.

Replacing Bucky really wasn't all that bad of an idea.

Ripping his metal hand from his leg, he clutched his head, willing himself to shut up and focus. Breathe in, breathe out; breathe in, breathe out. Taking a deep breath, he fell back onto the bed and stared at the ceiling, following the cracks and crevices in the white paint. His mind drifted, floating amongst the good and the bad and the evil thoughts before it landed safely on Steve's words: "do you not see the way they look at each other?"

Bucky thought back to the blurry days of the forties, each memory like a glimpse of something more, a blurb on the back of a book he just couldn't open, and saw himself, and Steve, hiding each touch, each bit of their love behind closed doors, hearts beating wildly at the fear of being caught, breath never coming properly, always hitched as another person walked by and saw their hands brushed.

The least he could do, he realised, was help two others in their position. If Steve was right and they were hiding then he too empathised with them like Steve did and it was his duty to give them the option to come out of hiding and to have what they thought they'd never be allowed to have.

For all Bucky knew, though, they weren't hiding because it was allowed but simply because they wanted to. Or because they thought it was unrequited. Or for any number of reasons. 

Still, it was Bucky's duty to tell them anyway, wasn't it?

Bucky had done a lot of shit in his life that he needed to make up for so here he was, talking on a duty that wasn't a mission but an act of compassion (hopefully, things always seemed to backfire nowadays) and if Steve promised that he loved Bucky then he could make sure that they had the option to say that to each other too.

Taking a breath, he sat up.

Back in the living room, Levi and Erwin were still on the couch, Erwin on the cushion whilst Levi balancing precariously on the armrest; "is everything okay?" Erwin asked as Steve came back in, reseating himself on the armchair, smiling (god, if Levi hadn't seen that before on Erwin). "Of course, it's just been a long couple of hours. For you more than us, though. Speaking of, anything else you'd like to ask?" 

"What is it you do? You talk about being a soldier in the past tense but you've got a uniform still." Levi asked, turning his head to look at Steve rather than mindlessly down the corridor.

"I'm not part of the military. I'm part of the Avengers initiative which brings together a group of people with a particular skill set in order to protect Earth, mostly from things outside this world but some within."

"Not from this world?" Erwin asked, frowning, Levi was too. 

"Yes, species from other planets. Aliens." They frowned further. Pondering, he examined the pair before it clicked. With a rueful smile, he apologised, "sorry, I should have known that you wouldn't know about that. I'm assuming that your...civilisation was cut off from a lot." Erwin nodded but Levi didn't move, he was back to looking down the corridor. 

"Does it link into stars? My father gave me a book on them when I was younger. There was also a section on 'The Solar System', I believe that had something to do with other planets?"

Steve affirmed his suspicions, ignoring as Bucky walked in, looking haggard and red-eyed (Steve would punish himself for it later, this was his fault), Levi's eyes trailing after him.  "Yes, the Solar System is the planets nearest to us, Earth. I'm sorry, can I ask you what you do know? About the outside world, other planets, anything."

"Of course." Erwin smiled politely, watching Levi suspiciously out of the corner of his eye. "There was a ban on most books that had been brought in by previous generations," he started, finally taking his eyes of Levi and looking directly at Steve. "But my father, who was a teacher, had stored them secretly and let me read them when I was old enough: it ended his life. He left it all to me in his will." 

“I’m sorry,” Steve replied automatically.

"It was a long time ago," Erwin said with a shrug. Steve's eyes darted to Bucky without warning before looking back to Erwin's as he muttered: "sometimes, grief never gets easier." At his comment, Levi inspected the pair, scrutinising them, but didn't comment - he would wait to talk to Erwin before he drew any conclusions.

"My father's books contained much that remains a mystery to me," Erwin continued, ignoring the small interlude. "But I know a certain amount about agriculture, the great religions and some variation in culture within areas of the world." 

Steve nodded thoughtfully, "do you remember any of the names of the religions?"

"No names, only the variations in which they believed and worshipped." Steve nodded and excused himself quietly as he reached for his buzzing phone and saw a few documents that Natasha had sent through, fiddling with the unfamiliar buttons to draw it onto the screen. 

"Is there any other things you had to ask about your own civilisation? Natasha has sent me a few more documents that go into a bit more detail. It's still rather vague; few people wanted to talk about it once they'd been liberated. They integrated into society quickly and quietly." Steve paused and sighed. "It wasn't a great time to be different." He thought back to the war and how people's lifestyles and cultures and religions were used as a reason for genocide, the camps still clear in his mind, and hate - even in America, he couldn't blame it all on the enemy.

He hated that.

"Are there no Titans now?" Levi asked.

"Not any that I'm aware of. At least, not the kind that you saw. As Natasha said earlier, Bruce Banner - a scientist on the team - has similar abilities to Eren and has a Titan form named The Hulk."

"Is he the only one with this ability?" Erwin asked.

"That I know of, yes. But, he's not the only one with abilities. His own abilities were an attempt to recreate my own and he's not the only one. We've fought many of them." No one missed the glance he threw Bucky's way. "Most of our team consists of superhumans too, though. I was given a system that gave me certain characteristics: enhanced speed, strength, thinking. Peter, known as Spiderman, has enhanced agility, speed and strength. Tony, or Iron Man, has advanced technology that he built that he wears as a suit. Clint, Hawkeye, will never miss a target. Natasha, Black Widow, is the best assassin-" Bucky glared even harder and Steve had to cover a laugh, "second best assassin in the world. Bucky has a similar Serum to mine. And the metal arm." 

Levi's eyes shot down to the metal arm as if he hadn't noticed it before (of course, he had). "You lost your arm?"

"It was taken," Bucky spat. Steve flinched.

Levi dismissed him before continued. "So, Erwin could get an arm like that?"

"If you'd like," Steve offered Erwin, before Bucky could say something to ruin all of this. "We have a friend in Africa who made Bucky's new one. I warn you, though, it's not a short process." Erwin mulled over the idea, his eyes meeting Levi in some sort of silence conversation, a small glint of hope in his eyes.

"I'll think about it," Erwin stated with a decisive nod, before turning to Bucky. "I Titan took my arm. What took yours?" Erwin asked, not blind to the way the man stiffened. Steve continued to talk in Bucky's place, if only to save Bucky the agony of reciting what was done to him (he always did it in such detail, like his memory wasn't fucked), even if hearing it wasn't that much a blessing. He watched Bucky carefully out of the corner of his eye as he spoke. "Bucky was my best friend since childhood, back in the forties. He went through a lot to get here, he didn't just wake up in a new century." Erwin nodded, examining the odd pair, this parallel to him and Levi. He wondered silently if they too had what Levi and he had. Of course, he’d never ask. He wasn't going to risk arrest for his curiosity, he was smarter than that. He and Levi were careful, they would remain that way.

The questions died down from there, Steve explaining the general points of WWII and how the Survey Corps used it to gain their freedom and eventually their full liberation in the 1950s in terms that were clearer whilst also explaining details of the war that only someone who had been witness to it could. Erwin and Levi listened raptly, ignoring Bucky’s silent glowering, unknowingly ignoring the haunted look that had returned to his eyes. Steve made sure to keep him in his sights, guilt still ripping him at the seams: he shouldn't have run off but it was too late to apologise.

It was when Steve was talking about the different continents, trying to finally explain just what Africa was, that Bucky interrupted. Turning, confused, Steve watched as Bucky’s severity turned into painful nonchalance, the dead look in his eyes reflecting that of the Winter Soldier and not Bucky Barnes. “Levi, can I speak to you in another room?” Levi immediately looked to Erwin, although not asking for permission, and nodded before leaving the room, trailing behind Bucky with a puzzled expression.

Bucky led Levi into the spare bedroom, opposite his and Steve’s shared room, that had originally been his - and still technically was, for the times when his mind was too much, even if they were less often nowadays. Bucky sat, looking comfortable around the other man, with a confidence that screamed 'you couldn't hurt me even if you tried'. Even with his skills, Levi knew that may have been exactly the case.

“You can sit if you want,” Bucky offered

“I’ll stand,” Levi replied, repeating Bucky's locution verbatim. 

Bucky looked Levi up and down, inspecting each and every crevice in the man’s odd costume - or rather uniform - looking for anywhere there could be a weapon: he only noticed a small dagger in the man’s boot. “You protect Erwin,” Bucky stated rather than asked; Levi nodded, he had no need to deny it. “You love Erwin?” Bucky confirmed and although Levi’s eyes widened, the rest of his face did not shift.

“He is my best friend.”

“That does not answer my question. You love him?” 

“No.” Levi lied through his teeth, jaw clenched and knuckles white: he'd protect Erwin at all costs, even if that meant sacrificing himself. If he was going to be arrested for homosexuality, the least he could do was claim it was unrequited and save Erwin his own fate. 

“You’re lying.” Levi’s eyes narrowed.

“I love him like a brother.” 

“Another lie.”

“I'm not lying, fucktard.”

“Are we resorting to childish insults now?” Bucky sighed. “I want to tell you something. I don’t care if you believe me or not but I’ve been watching you two and I thought you deserved to know.”

“Know what?”

“Here, in America, in 2018, it is perfectly acceptable for a man to love another man. Just as two women can. You won't be arrested.” Levi’s eyes widened again but his lips remained pursed, hope glimmered behind the nonchalant facade. “Steve and I are together.” Although the last part may have been added in spite, that unfamiliar feeling still aching dully in his bones - though not jealousy, fear maybe, fear that Steve would replace him (god, he was going to *replace* him) - Bucky knew that it was probably an important piece of information for the other man.

The silence lasted far too long before: “Why tell me? Why not Erwin?” 

Bucky scoffed a laugh. “As you’ve already pointed out, Steve and Erwin are very similar. As much as I hate to admit it, we may be too. It’s easier to talk to you. And you needed to know. I know what hiding is like. You shouldn't have to.” Bucky stated as if it was obvious. Maybe it was, Levi was inclined to agree.

“Guess that makes sense. You’re still a shitstain, though.” 

“Oh, thanks,” Bucky retorted sarcastically, “your praise gets better by the minute.” Levi let a smirk slip onto his lips, looking up at the taller man. 

“Oh, it will.” 

“It better, midget.” Levi gritted his teeth but refrained from speech. At the sight of Levi’s dismay, Bucky had to bite his lip to hide the smile from his face, choking on a laugh. Coughing, he apologised. “Sorry, sorry, it’s just that Steve used to always make that face when I teased him about his height.” Levi quirked an eyebrow as Bucky talked about the over six-foot man. “Oh, before the serum, Steve must have been the same height as ya’. Real frail too.” Bucky said, slipping into his old Brooklyn vernacular. Levi furrowed his brows, trying to imagine the tall, blonde man as anything other than what he was now but came up short. “I’ll show you a picture some time, midget.”

“That’s going to stick now, isn’t it?” Levi sighed exasperatedly, before attaching “shitstain.” Bucky just smiled, albeit humorlessly, at the insult. 

“I feel like my insult is more personal than yours. I don’t see any shitstains on me.”

“No,” Levi smirked, matching Bucky’s features, “because you can't see your hair.” With that Levi turned and left the room, leaving Bucky shaking his head, stifling another short laugh. This man was interesting; maybe there was fun to be had. Bucky felt lighter already.

Whilst Bucky had led Levi to the spare room, Erwin and Steve remained in the living area, left alone for the first time together. Steve had gotten up at some point - he wasn't even really sure why, his mind was muddled - and was leaning against the breakfast bar as Erwin leant his head back against the back of the sofa and let his eyes slip shut. 

“You don’t have to pretend, you know. To be okay.” Steve whispered, his voice filling the void silence with a soothing gentleness. Erwin’s frown deepened but he didn’t reply, simply letting himself wallow in darkness. 

“Would you like to talk about it?” Steve pushed, placing himself down on Erwin’s left, the place on the sofa nearest the door. 

“I’m fine, thank you.” 

“You don’t seem fine.” Steve tested Erwin’s limits.

The pause had lasted an eternity when, finally, Erwin murmured: “you’re right, I’m not.” Erwin added nothing more. This was a man with too many lives on his conscience, he had long since learnt to fortify his veneer. 

Steve looked at the man, inspecting the deep wrinkles between his eyebrows - a result of years worth of stress, frowning and guilt - and spoke before he could even think it through. “When I was born, up to when I was a teenager, I was about 5’4, had asthma, heart problems, was stuck in constant bouts of sickness." Erwin didn't open his eyes; he was listening, though, that much was clear. "The war came and I wanted so desperately to prove myself so I tried to enlist. I was denied, of course - had to have been about 5 or 6 times - until this man came along and saw my stubbornness. He let me in on a special program that I really shouldn't get into the details of and less than a year later, I got injected with a serum and became what I am today. Even after that, though, they saw me as weak. I was left to perform shows for propaganda. It was fine, even if I felt useless. I accepted that I was doing something good, getting money for the soldiers out there, including Bucky, who'd been able to enlist. And then, I found out the Bucky’s platoon had been given up on, presumed dead, only a country away. I refused to let that happen so I… saved him. He was being tortured by an institution called Hydra. I saved him from that. Then I became the soldier I was meant to be. I fought for a year or two but there was one mission, just the same as the rest. We jumped onto a train and fought the bad guys. Then Bucky fell from the train." Steve took a shuddering breath, watching as Erwin's shoulders tensed, guilt crippling his face. "I let him fall, I couldn't catch him in time, and he died. I’d never felt more useless. Because even after all that, all the proving myself and becoming strong, I still couldn’t save my best friend - well,” Steve chuckled “I can’t lie, he was more than that.”

Steve swallowed, inspecting Erwin’s face, barely detecting any movement in the man’s nonchalant facade. “Soon after, I dive-bombed into the sea in an aeroplane. In simple terms, I killed myself, even if it was for the sake of the country. I realised later that I was lying to myself if that was anything but selfish. I could have turned the plane around but no, I crashed it and broke the woman’s heart who I was supposed to love - she was my best friend, just like Bucky should have been.” 

Steve looked over at Erwin again, finding no movement, yet again. He wasn't sure if he was being too obvious or too subtle. “Next thing I know, I’ve woken up around half a century later, in a world I can’t even recognise and I was useless again. I’d lost everyone I’d loved. Bucky was gone even before that. So I dived into the Avengers initiative and distracted myself. I kept on fighting. Then, I found out that Hydra had returned and in the mess of it all, there was an assassin coming after me. We fought, his mask fell off and Bucky was standing right in front of me. The man I’d loved was right there and even if he was trying to kill me, even if he wasn’t himself, even if Hydra had tampered with his fucking mind, I loved him.”

Erwin’s eyes had opened and he was staring at Steve, brows furrowed in question. Steve smiled wanly and finished. “I’m sorry, you didn’t need my whole life story but I just wanted you to realise that I may not know exactly what’s going on inside your head but I understand. I really do. I’ve known uselessness, love, hiding that love, weakness, that horrible feeling of loss, being stripped of all that you knew.” Steve took a breath, unsure how else to continue but with, “I care about you, Erwin, already. And Levi. We’ve only just met but I’ve never known anyone who has gone through something so similar to me and all I want to do is help, I really do. I don’t want anyone going through the loneliness I did.”

“What about Bucky?”

Steve scoffed. “As I said, he was trying to kill me. It took us a long time to get to where we are today.” 

“You say you love him.”

“I do.”

“Who else knows? I feel honoured that you would trust me with this but I don’t want you to be arrested just because I told the wrong person that you loved your best friend.” Steve eyes softened at Erwin’s words and a true smile took over his lips. “It’s not in the public’s knowledge, Bucky’s not ready to be in public alone nevermind with me by his side too, I can't begin to imagine what would happen if he came under the media's scrutiny. But, everyone in this tower knows. And I think there is one more thing I need to add to my story.”

“Go on.”

“I loved Bucky in the 40s but we refrained from acting on it, even if we both understood each other's feelings, because we were scared. Of being arrested, mostly, but also of others opinions, of becoming outcasts, even of being killed; it happened often for people like Buck and I. So, in most senses of the words, we really were just best friends."

Steve took a deep breath. "Then I woke up and I explored this new time. I had become a legend, a historical figure. So had Bucky. He was shown as my sidekick, my closest friend but all I could think was that I wish I could just tell them that he was so much more than that but I was too scared,  scared of everything I'd always been scared of. And then, one day, Tony - the man with the blue circle in his chest - strolled in and asked if I wanted to support a cause. I said of course because I was always happy to support any cause in any way he can. Then he explained to me PRIDE. It’s a celebration of the LGBT community. I can’t recall what they all stand for but I know it includes gay men. In 2018, you don’t get arrested, it’s getting celebrated. I don’t think I’d ever felt more happy, or more miserable that I no longer had the man that I wanted to show it too. But it was there and I felt valid. My feelings were okay; I didn’t have to force feelings onto myself. I could love men and not women, just like I’d always wanted to.” Steve stopped and peered at Erwin out of the corner of his eyes, whose mouth was hanging open but a smile twitching the corners of his lips up. “I’m not sure if you and Levi are together or if you just want to be but I can see the way you look at him. You may be out of your time but you have the opportunity I never had. You have the man you want to celebrate with right beside you. It's still not perfect, the word is not free from hatred but you are safe and for some, you are celebrated.”

Erwin turned to Steve, trying to hide the tears that were pooling in his eyes. “Thank you.” He whispered, failing to hide the tremor in his voice. 

The moment was broken as Levi entered the room, Bucky nowhere in sight. After a few seconds of awkward silence, Steve excused himself to go check on Bucky. 

Levi, as soon as they’d left, brought his arms around Erwin, straddling his legs, his arms wrapped around Erwin’s neck.

“I suddenly have the feeling that Bucky may have told you something very similar to what Steve told me.” 

Levi looked up, quirking an eyebrow. “What’d he say?” 

“Apparently, it is very much okay to love another man. There’s even a celebration of it.” Levi looked a little shock but nodded, his lips curving upwards. 

“I didn’t hear about the celebrations but I was told that we wouldn’t get arrested. And that Bucky and Steve were in the same place as us.” Erwin nodded, drawing a thumb across Levi’s lips. 

“I love seeing you smile.”

Levi scowled immediately. “I wasn’t smiling,” he defied petulantly.

Erwin sighed, shaking his head in exasperation. “Of course you weren’t.” Levi smiled again mischievously and leant forward to press a forceful kiss to Erwin’s lips. Levi gave everything he had, relishing in the freedom that he felt, finally letting the intense beat of his heart pound away like the beat to a song he'd never been allowed to hear before. For all he'd represented freedom in their own world, his emotions had been just hidden as their society had.

Both were knocked out of their act by a gentle cough and Steve peering out of his bedroom door. Erwin flushed a deep red whilst Levi looked perfectly put together, still straddling Erwin’s lap. “I was just gonna say that you guys are free to explore and you can take the bedroom across the hall for the night. That’s all.” Steve quickly flung himself into the other room, their own room, Bucky following him, looking vaguely discomfited.

"Are you going to tell me what happened now?" Steve asked, worry framing his features as he reached out to Bucky, his hands trailing down his lover's shoulders, his hands stopping as they gripped his biceps.

"I...I had another episode." Bucky admitted shyly, hanging his head low, refusing to make eye contact (just as he had with his handlers).

"Oh my god, Buck. Are you okay? No, scrap that. I know you're not. How can I help?" At Bucky's silence, Steve wrapped Bucky tightly in his arms and breathed in his scent. "I'm sorry I didn't see before it came."

"It's fine," Bucky whispered into Steve's shoulder hoarsely "I just panicked a bit, that's all. No Winter Soldier or anything." 

"No, it's not fine, I shouldn't have left-"

"Steve," Bucky warned, "don't do this to yourself. It wasn't your fault. Couples argue all the time, right? You can't guilt trip yourself just because I'm a bit fucked in the head."

Steve nodded. "I know I said earlier that you didn't have to explain yourself but this...this has gotten too far. I want to know what you're feeling. I wanna help."

Bucky sighed, pulling back and rubbing the nape of his neck. "I'm not jealous - it's not like that, we both know what that actually feels like - I think I'm just afraid. I know its irrational but I feel like you're leaving me already. My brain keeps telling me that you're going to replace me because you've found a better version of me. Hydra used to...they used to make it out that I was always going to be replaced by something better, that I was useless, just to make me fight harder - the Soldier still has primal instincts, competitiveness is one of them. And now, each time someone leaves the room, I'm hyper-aware that I'm alone again and I feel like it's their way of telling me that they don't want me anymore. I hate it. The memories have been coming back again a little clearer recently - the ones of what they did to me - and I can't stop them. I'm afraid, nothing you can do about that." 

Bucky knew how much Steve hated being useless but it was true, fear was not an alien for Steve to punch. Fear is what it is because it is untouchable; you cannot fight fear with fists, only with worse fears or bravery. 

Pushing himself back into Bucky's space, deciding the conversation finished, Steve ran a gentle hand through Bucky's hair, laughing as it got caught in a knot. "You really should cut it." Steve urged with a playful smile.

Bucky huffed a laugh. "Yeah, not gonna happen. Though you'll be glad to know the midget called it a shitstain earlier." 

Steve knew just by looking at Bucky that there had been no real harm done by the silly, almost childish, insult. "Midget?" 

"What?" Bucky defended. "He's short." 

Steve raised an eyebrow, his smile still in place. "I was just as short, if not shorter."

"And I called you just the same." 

"You did not," Steve argued

"Well, yeah, not to your face." Bucky snorted as Steve let out a heart-warming laugh, falling forward and wrapping his hands strongly around Bucky's ribcage, squeezing him. 

"I love you," Steve mumbled into Bucky's neck.

"I love you too, punk," Bucky replied into Steve's hair.

"Jerk," Steve replied almost immediately.

A few minutes passed, a comfortable silence wrapping itself around the two men.

"You saw what they were doing right?" Steve asked, not bringing his head up from the conjunction between Bucky's neck and shoulder.

"Of course," Bucky scoffed, "I basically told Levi to do it."

Steve finally broke from Bucky's hold, smiling with mirth. "I pretty much told Erwin to do it too." 

Bucky frowned at him whilst Steve let out another peal of laughter. "I can't believe we gave them the same speech."

“Well mine wasn’t a speech, Mr Pep-Talk, but yeah, I think we said something along the same lines.” 

Steve smiled and brought a hand to cup Bucky’s face. “I’m glad they have each other.” Steve paused and looked into Bucky’s eyes, repeating his previous words with just as much conviction. “I love you.”

Bucky smiled and pressed his lips to Steve’s. “I love you too.”


	4. Chapter 4

**_TIME IS MY FRIEND_ **

The next day, it was discussed and decided that the Survey Corps would be trained and given the option to hold their own place in The Avengers, even if for people like Armin, they were also given the option to stay behind and run tech: Tony promising to give him lessons on coding at some point, spotting the genius boy for what he was. 

They congregated in the place they first met, dressed in an array of outfits. Levi had opted for his uniform and Erwin had remained in the white trousers but had taken the t-shirt that Steve had offered to him, black and slightly too tight fitting (according to Levi, definitely the one to go for). Eren came in sweatpants and another tight fitting t-shirt (only because he was more muscular), borrowed from Peter - who had immediately integrated into the young trio of Survey Corps cadets, finally surrounded by friends of his own age that had no reason to be in the dark about his double life. Armin had taken to his uniform too but forgoing the painful straps for the manoeuvre gear, which had become unnecessary. Mike and Hanji both entered into workout clothes that they claimed to be in the drawers of their rooms. Hanji had thoroughly looked through everything there and Mike could sniff out the ones that had been used for workouts before (although he didn't mention that to anyone; he didn't like to point out just how poignant his sense of smell was and how useful it could become sometimes, even if it made for disgusting periods sometimes). Mikasa was the largest surprise, entering the room in one of Natasha’s leather suits, although slightly larger than usual to make up for the height difference. “Where'd you get that?” Tony asked snidely; Mikasa just sighed and strode over to stand by a matching Natasha - the women looked dangerous side by side.

Ignoring Tony's huff, as per usual, Steve took the lead and asked that each Survey Corps members portray their strength. Offering himself to go first, he called Erwin to the mats, entirely selfishly - he was curious as to whether their styles matched too (or maybe he just wanted to see Erwin sweat. What? The man was good-looking, in a totally not egotistical way). “I’m sorry if I disappoint. I haven’t done hand to hand combat seriously since my training days. The lack of an arm will certainly not help.” Erwin smiled gently, a glint of mischievousness glinting in his eye. 

Steve nodded only a second before they begun. Immediately, Erwin struck out with his right leg, surprisingly balanced with only one arm. Steve knew he could win immediately, not for the man’s lack of training but simply because of the weakness in his side. It took a minute before he had Erwin on the mat, smiling down at him. “I have to say,” Steve spoke as he hefted Erwin to his feet, “for someone who hasn’t fought since training and on top of that, is missing an arm, you’re highly skilled.” Erwin nodded, looking flushed at the praise. “Levi, you next?” 

Erwin immediately cut in, the familiar mischevious glint returning to his eyes. “I think we should save Levi for last. He and Bucky will make a show.” The sadistic smirk took Steve by surprise but he was quick-witted enough to return it before calling Eren to the mats.

“Does this Titan ability make you any stronger in human form?” Steve asked, looking down at the boy before deciding that Tony should be the one to fight him.

“Um, no? I don't think so.” Although he sounded unsure, Steve took that as affirmation and watched as he and Tony fought. Eren, for his part, had the determination of a bull and didn’t hold back his punches but Tony was used to brute strength and used his tactical mind with ease to get out of situations quickly and efficiently until, after ten minutes of pretty even fighting, Tony pinned Eren, both of them sporting more than a few bruises, panting heavily from the prolonged combat. 

“You’re determination is infallible.” Steve praised, glad to see Eren’s face light up at the praise. Almost immediately it became clear that Levi was most likely his mentor, the man looked like the kind of trainer that would not give praise, no matter how good someone did (the only other person who looked likely to hold back was Erwin but assuming he held the main leadership role, he was unlikely to be training cadets. Maybe Mike too but Steve had yet to get a good hold on the man). At the words, Tony muttered something ungrateful and bitter under his breath about not getting his own compliment (the usual grumble) before going to rub some cream into his wounds, too impatient to wait until later.

“Armin, who would you like to go up against?” Steve asked kindly, afraid that the boy was going to break if he went up against any super soldier. 

“Can I fight Eren. We’ve fought together before so I can show you more of my skill rather than my ability to win.” Steve, although marginally disappointed at Armin's acceptance of his weakness (unlike Steve's former-self, and current self, for that matter), nodded his consent and waved an arm for them to begin, proud at the way Armin stood his ground and, like Tony, used his tactics to avoid Eren’s brutal punches, even if he ended up losing anyway. “You shouldn’t put yourself down so much, Armin, you’re better than you think. You will be a brilliant tactician.” Armin beamed and Steve felt his chest puff out in pride. He wasn’t trying to butter up the new guys or anything but he really wanted them to feel welcome and if all it took was a little praise, he wouldn’t hold back, although he was careful to be honest, he didn't like to get people's hopes up. 

“Hanji?” Steve let her take her place and taking Armin's choice in her stride, she immediately pointed to Vision. 

“I really want to figure out more about how technology can be used in fighting.” Steve just shrugged and looked over at Vision who nodded a confirmation and let the woman who had been stuck in the labs for the night - who had slept even less than Tony - fight. This was a show of skill, not of winning once again: Hanji clearly showed skill but Vision couldn't be beaten in hand-to-hand combat because he knew the person's moves almost before they were coming. Although she claimed to be a scientist, Steve could see the years worth of being a soldier just in the way she stood, nevermind the way in which she punched as if she were a pro-boxer. 

Vision, for his part, let himself fall down to the mat, watching Hanji’s gleeful cackle with careful concentration. “Oh my God, that was amazing! How did you do that? You memorised my moves and then stopped them almost perfectly. Do you have something that makes that process instant rather than over time? Do you not have to practice to learn? Is this like a robot thing or an AI thing? Could you even feel what I was doing?” Vision chucked and pulled himself up.

“All in good time, Miss Zoe. I’m sure Mr Stark can explain it all to you.” She nodded but was still buzzing, stepping back to let Mike take her place. Seeing a pattern, he pointed to Clint, who looked a little surprised to be chosen. Nonetheless, Clint moved forward. “I’m more of a stealth operative than brute strength but let’s see what you got.” Mike nodded, he’d said little since he'd arrived.

Out of all the group so far, it was clear to see that Mike was the best. He fought similarly to Erwin but had the benefit of two arms and easily pinned Clint within a minute before they were both tossing and turning, pinning each other before freeing themselves again - Clint, despite his inferior strength, was far agiler and had years worth of experience in freeing himself from simple holds. Fifteen minutes passed and Steve called out a draw, ignoring Clint’s cry of indignation. 

“Mikasa.” He showed her where to stand as she scanned the room, slowly unfurling a finger to point at Natasha who smiled gently at the other girl. Neither spoke before the fight began and to say Steve was awed was an understatement. The women fought with unbridled ferocity, Natasha’s skill met by a pure strength that Steve thought only he and Bucky possessed. The match was even but within five minutes, Steve desperate to confirm his thoughts. “Stop!” He ordered and they both flung themselves away from each other. “Mikasa, punch me.” She looked confused so he repeated himself. “I have a theory but first, you're going to have to punch me.” She nodded and quickly brought her first to his sternum. His breath left him suddenly and he clutched at his chest but a smile overtook his face. 

“I’m going to need Levi to confirm this so I think it’s time to see the fight that we’ve been waiting for.” Levi took his place on the left whilst Bucky stood on the right. Facing each other, they both poised themselves for a fight. “Wait,” Levi held up a hand, his silver eyes darting around the room. “Can we use knives, I fight better with weapons.” Steve looked at Bucky, who gave him a brief nod, before taking two small knives out of his outfit (none of them were surprised), one for each of them, throwing the second carelessly over to Levi who tested the weight in his hand before gripped it so it faced backwards.

The fight began slowly but unfurled into a whirlwind of chaos within a minute. Within three, blood was dripping from Bucky’s shoulder and Levi’s cheek. The knives glinted ominously in the dull lighting of the basement. It was like watching a pair of highly trained, snarling dogs, the height difference could be disregarded as they fought and fought and fought. Twenty minutes passed and Steve stopped them, seeing the sheen of sweat covering both of them, panting forcing their chests into heavy breaths but neither looked wholly fatigued: Steve still pinched himself for letting his awe overcome him and allow for it to go on so long but the stamina still amazed him.

“Buck, you must know what I’m thinking.” 

“I’d need to fight Mikasa too to confirm but yeah.” Steve nodded and turned to the group, Mikasa waiting at the front, poised and stern, only revealing a certain amount of confusion. “I have reason to believe that you and Levi are related.” He began, ignoring the shock that resounded throughout the room. “And that both of you have a similar affinity to Bucky and I. You’re super-soldiers. I have no confirmation but it is certain that you both have enhanced strength. From what I've seen, I would also predict enhanced agility, like Peter. Unless either of you has reason to believe it was the work of a Serum, I think yours might be genetic, hence you two being related."  The pair of Ackerman’s locked eyes but nothing seemed to pass between them, only a silent trust that had grown over years of teamwork, marred only by the slight disdain that commonly joined it. 

“I think I know what this is,” Natasha announced, stepping forward, tablet in hand. “The legend of the Ackerman’s, one cultivated by a small group of townspeople in England. Presumably,” she added, “what was left of your civilisation.” She put the tablet down on the table, seemingly familiar with the knowledge. “I’ve been looking into it and I think you’re correct. The legend says that there was a family in which there were abilities beyond both man and Titan. I tried tracking the family but it spanned wide and for all I knew, it could really just be a myth. Due to marriage, last names changed but it tended to follow the name Ackerman. Once people fled behind the walls, the legend remained but the family was completely lost, no records of any official Ackerman’s in any consensus. I think the partition of the family meant that it wasn’t trained properly and weakened over time but it still resides in a few: presumably Levi and Mikasa. The legend goes on to state that they were protectors, each with their own charges. I think, if I’m not being presumptuous, that those two people must be Erwin and Eren.” She looked between the two men, garnering a nod from both them and their protectors: a confirmation. 

“Well,” Steve began before he could stop himself (he couldn’t decide whether he regretted the words or not) “seems we might not be the oldest super soldiers on the block,” he joked, looking directly at Bucky with a sly smirk. 

Bucky smiled back, just as sharp, his lips like two thin knives. "I don't know; I'm feeling pretty achy. A hundred is quite old. Then again, it depends on how old Levi is, he may even make us look young," he challenged, turning to Levi, who shrugged dismissively. 

"I have no idea how old I am." At their confused looks, he continued. "My mother was a whore," Levi did not hesitate to blur his words. "She died when I was young. Don't know my birthday so either she never told me or I was too young to remember. Or, more likely, she didn't know either. I was born and raised in a place called the Underground. It's pretty much in the fucking name but it meant you couldn't see the sun in certain parts of the city; never knew whether it was day or night, couldn't calculate how many days passed, not that it ever mattered." Levi spoke with a straight face, revealing nothing, reacting to no one (who were all looking at him awfully pitifully). 

He swallowed down the vulnerability of revealing himself to strangers, encasing him the usual stoicism that helped him pass through without social situations without hitting something. Yet, something about the way Bucky looked at him - different from the rest, definitely - with a smirk and a countenance that portrayed nothing but mischief. The buzz of being the subject of such attention burned through his veins and spurred him to keep his head high and not blend into the crowd. 

"So how old do you think you are? If you had to guess." Bucky taunted, looking down at the smaller man.

"Before this whole time travelling shit, say 35. That's what's on my official documents." Levi didn't have time to register what was happening until Bucky whooped and punched the air, ignoring the plethora of mildly horrified faces (very few of them had seen Bucky give more than a smirk, never mind a fucking whoop) and a hand landed on his shoulder. Steve, of course.  Steve smiled down at him whilst Bucky announced obnoxiously, "welcome to the future, Mr Probably-About-110-Years-Old-And-Definitely-Older-Than-Me." Levi couldn't hide the smile the overtook his lips or ignore the warmth that spread through his chest with Steve's hand on his shoulder (ever so similar to the reassuring feel of Erwin's own hand). Within seconds, chaos ensued; Hanji was chanting "he smiled! He smiled!" until anyone would take notice of her; the trio of younger cadets gaped at their usual stoic leader; Erwin, taking on a smile of his own, revelled in seeing Levi finally open himself up to a crowd, ignoring his fear of others seeing his weaknesses, the buried kindness finally surfacing; Mike smirked, folding his arms against his chest and watching as he leant against the far wall, silently applauding his friend for this small step in the right direction (who knew it would only take a pair of super soldiers to finally crack Levi out of his shell); The Avengers gaped, failing to distract themselves as Bucky flirted and teased and OMG-just-smiled-because-isn't-that-an-accomplishment-in-itself and finally began a cheer of their own. 

Steve, who had let go of Levi's shoulder as the man had turned to face Erwin, went to wrap an arm around Bucky's shoulders, jostling him, just as Bucky had done to Steve when he was smaller (oh, how the tables had changed). "I think we're going to be okay, Buck," Steve whispered vaguely into his ear. Bucky understood; Bucky knew exactly what he meant. And for that, he couldn't take the grin off his face, even if he tried.


	5. Chapter 5

**_THE PAST IS BURNED_ **

It took a week or so for people to settle into their roles. Slowly, people became accustomed to the way Mike kept to himself, speaking only when necessary (and sniffing all of them at least once, looking slightly wary as he reached the more dubious members of the group, namely Natasha and Bucky). In the end, it had led him to follow in Bruce's footsteps and he took a relatively passive place in the group, willing to fight when necessary but for the most part, hiding away in the labs doing god knows what (because he certainly wasn't a scientist). Bruce, they were beginning to think, was in need of a lab partner that wasn't a loud-mouthed billionaire, no matter what their scientific expertise was. 

Hanji, being so different in character, followed Tony. Each scientific discovery, small or large, was succeeded by a plethora of questions, cackles or more questions. Despite getting deeply on Tony's nerves, he kept the woman around, if only for her untenable erudition, and let her into the labs with open arms, showing her everything and anything (and in the meantime, showing off about all of it). He taught her coding, alongside Armin, who was getting extra training from Natasha in order to specify in the area. Already, he was more adept with computers than half the team. 

Although the introduction to the internet was slow (Eren still didn't quite grasp what it was and why it was there), they were beginning to learn at least a little tech-savviness and were picking up tricks that even Steve (who had been introduced to it first) was yet to learn. Although in Steve's defence, he wasn't entirely inadept at using a computer, he just preferred other modes of communication, ones that came with familiarity and ease.

Eren and Peter were two peas in a pod. In the week Eren had been there, he'd already asked for a suit, the ability to make webs and to be bitten by a radioactive spider, unfortunately reasonable requests when constantly surrounded by super soldiers. Eren was granted none of them. For a while, at least.

At the end of the second week, Eren was going patrolling with Peter. Although none of them had come with their manoeuvre gear, Hanji quickly made new pairs based on the blueprints she had already memorised. And thought the Survey Corps was far more adept at using them, the Avengers that did not have the ability to fly quickly added them to their possible arsenals. So, as Peter swung on webs, Eren shot through the alleys with wires, awed when many of the media outlets named him as the 'new vigilante' of Manhattan, cheering at his new popularity. (He was too unfortunate to know what the word vigilante actually meant).

Mikasa started to train with Natasha and more than ever, was scaring the newly-large group in submission. She'd already gained a floor to herself (what she did to Tony, no one knows) and had insisted later that she share with Armin and Eren. Also, with the knowledge of her powers and relation to Levi, she began to train with him. His skill had been honed whilst hers hadn't, despite her skill being next to perfect. The brutal attacks left nothing but dull bruises on their skin as they fought tooth and nail, despite the fact that by now, they both should have had a few broken ribs.

And people had thought watching Bucky and Steve fight had been fascinating. 

But more importantly than any of this was Bucky and Levi's awkwardly growing, undeniable friendship. They fought on a regular basis, always with knives (for reasons that passed straight over Steve's head) and neither had ever claimed victory. Each time one of them crashed to the ground, they would get straight up again, leading to stamina-exhausting, strenuous, perpetual fights. Erwin and Steve would watch from a corner, noting skill differences, improvements to be made (although, at this point, that was just nitpicking) and, in honesty, just awe over the beauty of what was occurring in front of them: a violent elegance that couldn't be recreated by anyone else. 

Most prominent, though, was the aftermath. Usually, after a fight, Bucky would stalk of silently, stuck in his own head, seeking reassurance from Steve that he wasn't the monster HYDRA made him to be. Now, without reason, without suggestion, he remained; he laughed and smiled and threw insults, laughing at any comeback Levi could sling his way again, banging his shoulder against Levi's (even if his shoulder was closer to Levi's head than anything else).

Today was no different. Levi had just said something as rude as everything else he'd ever said, Bucky had laughed it off, crashed into Levi's side and confidently strode ahead, letting the others group behind him and leading them to the apartment (where Erwin and Levi had officially just taken the spare room). Bucky collapsed onto the sofa, looking more relaxed than he had in a while, resting an arm across the back as an invitation for Steve to join him. Steve took the hint quickly and snuggled (manly) into his side, watching Levi from out of the corner of his eye as the man showed as much affection as he ever did in public towards Erwin at the breakfast bar.

The domesticity of it all his Steve like a tsunami, a peaceful smile slipping onto his lips before he could stop it. He turned and looked out at the New York skyline, wondering if this was the first time he'd actually found himself in the future. For once, he was in the present; no denial, no discomfort, no longing as a result of nostalgia. For once, he was glad. He was no longer stuck in poverty, no longer forced to love a woman with the love of his life by his side, no longer fighting for his life (not every day, anyway).  

For all the horrors he had suffered, he'd finally gained his recompense. This was his younger self's dream; he'd finally made what he'd always wanted and he wondered why that had never occurred to him before now.

Steve drifted in and out of his mind, relishing in the comfort of Bucky's metal side (which was far more comfortable than you'd first expect as it had always been built with a pillow in it due to the ridiculous size of Bucky's bicep) and watched as Erwin and Levi sat themselves down on stools and chattered under their breaths, faces serious. 

His observation was interrupted by a hyperbolic, exasperated sigh as Bucky flung his head back, his arm tightening around Steve. "I want foo~d," Bucky whined, revealing a playful side that Steve had started to believe had been completely lost in the tangle of memories still flittering around Bucky's mind. 

"Well go and get something out of the fridge," Steve chuckled, facing Bucky so his lips were skimming against the stubble on Bucky's cheek.

"No, I want *food* food," Bucky complained, leaning to the left so he could kiss Steve's head.

"Adding an extra 'food' doesn't change anything in that sentence."

"I mean, cook something for me, plea~se," Bucky said, battering his eyelashes falsely, the corners of his mouths pulling into a cocky smile.

“I can’t cook, Buck.” 

“Oh please, the modern world must have taught you something.”

"Not one bit. Can't even boil a potato without messing it up," Steve confessed, chuckling.

"Do either of you cook?" Bucky whined, throwing his head back in frustration and looking at the silent couple by the kitchenette, who seemed happy to be chatting away and ignoring their...friends? Acquaintances? Teammates?

Levi turned around and shook his head, looking over at Erwin curiously when the man shrugged half a confirmation. "It was an impressive skill to have; donors liked it. I'm not in any way proficient but I can certainly make something edible."

"That's more than us," Steve admitted with a shrug.

"Excuse me! I can make something *edible*," Bucky argued.

"What may have been edible in the 40s is not exactly edible now, Buck. Boiling really isn't the way to go. Also, weren't you the one that just asked us to cook?" Steve teased, albeit that his focus remained on Erwin. "You up to seeing what's in the fridge and rustling something up?" Erwin nodded indifferently and let Levi scour the fridge for him (a lack of an arm had made him uncomfortably dependent), pulling out a steak or two for each of them and enough vegetables to make a large side. Levi strode over to the living area and chose the armchair facing Erwin, watching as he rolled up a shirt sleeve (one of Steve's checkered ones. Despite Bucky's, and Levi's, dismay, their dress senses were almost parallel) and started chopping the peppers; the process was slow going with one arm until Steve pointed out some of the utilities they had for when Bucky had to make repairs on the arm, rarely used but vital. Erwin may have not said much but his gratefulness was palpable. 

As the smell of steaks, smoky and warm, permeated throughout the room, Bucky groaned. "Midget, I am so stealing your boyfriend; he's far better than mine." 

Levi said "Tch, shithead," at the exact moment Steve complains "hey!" Whilst Steve sulked, head on Bucky's shoulder, Levi eyed Bucky warily. Bucky simply smirked. Steve, in the meanwhile, watched the interaction between them with a keen eye, watching the fluidity and undertones with unbridled attention: watched the pair like they'd known each other for years, not days.

If Bucky was not Steve's, it was evident enough that he would be Levi's. Yet, jealousy did not ring loud; Steve heard the faint chimes of worry sound but his heart remained steady. Bucky was his, Levi - probably - was Erwin's. Yet, he almost wanted to kindle this new relationship until the sparks grew into a fire; he could only imagine how bright the blaze would shine.

As soon as easy insults began to fly between them, to the extent where the rest of the world was invisible, Steve peeled himself off Bucky and joined Erwin behind the stove, assisting with the finicky jobs that even tools couldn't help him with (there was no hiding Erwin's frustration; a vein pulsed in his neck). 

Steve was used to it, as well as the silent glares that came his way (they weren't useless but help was so often unappreciated for such a fear), Steve had suffered the months between the removal of Bucky's Hydra (and relatively impossible to use) arm and the replacement of the new, much improved, arm.

Steve was left to the last bits of chopping and dicing, throwing anything of sorts into a sizzling frying pan, whilst Erwin overcame the imbalance of his phantom limb with infallible determination and did whatever was left to do (predominantly flipping the steaks and checking for when they were ready to be plated). 

Throughout the ordeal (it had to be called that, if only for the effort it took for two fully grown men to cook a simple meal), they chattered and before he knew it, Steve was asking about the past as if it was last week. Although, it became evidently clear that even if the time period they grew up in was the same, their upbringings were far from similar.

"Your childhood reminds me far more of Levi's than mine," Erwin mused, flipping another steak before plating it.

"How so?"

"It's not my story to tell but he was impoverished, I think even more severely than you. His father wasn't there, his mother was...his to reveal. His mother died and he fended for himself for a long time, later with the help of a few close friends. If I'm honest, I don't know much else myself. He's not that open about it," Erwin sighed, his voice hushed; if Steve could pick up sounds as easily as Levi then he'd have no problem hearing.

"I see what you mean. He definitely seemed to take something... *different* away from it, though."

Erwin laughed, shaking his head despite himself. "I think you may be surprised. Despite his crudeness, his sense of duty is on par with yours. His morals may be questionable but he is stubborn, just as you are. Or," he flashed Steve a sly grin, "that's what Bucky always says."

Steve rolled his eyes but chuckled. "He won't ever shut up about it. He's just as bad, though, I promise you that. He's just had fewer circumstances to show it." Erwin smiled and plated another steak in silence.

"There's something happening between Bucky and Levi," Steve blurted, staring at where Bucky and Levi were too engrossed in conversation (insult-throwing) to listen in. Erwin's turned to him, held his gaze and raised an eyebrow (Steve almost felt humiliated that he'd mentioned it. With just a look, Erwin had said all Steve needed to know. Most importantly, Erwin was not so blind that he hadn't seen the obvious). "It's just...that's how Bucky always used to act with me," Steve added unnecessarily. 

"Despite Levi and I having a complicated start, I would say it was similar." 

"Complicated?" 

Erwin huffed a laugh. "You have said that Bucky tried to kill you when you were reunited?" Steve nodded warily. "Well," Erwin stated, sounding impressed, "that seems to be how relationships start nowadays," Erwin joked. Steve's eyes widened in surprise but if he was honest with himself, he shouldn't have been. Levi showed a similar ruthlessness to the Winter Soldier in many ways. At least, in any case, the attempt had been unsuccessful. 

"Are you not worried about them?" Steve pondered, wandering back to the previous topic. 

"Should I be?" 

"I'm not," Steve admitted.

"And neither am I. I think this new...*time* will give both Levi and I a lot of new things," Erwin whispered cryptically, flashing Steve a small smile before plating the last of the steaks and leaving the kitchen before Steve even had a chance to comprehend the words (or rather take the path that they followed). 

Shaking out of his stupor, Steve followed, dragging his feet a little as he mulled over the words. Each of them ate hesitantly, still unused to the taste of rich food on their tongues; even after all this time, Steve still hadn't quite become accustomed to the non-boiled (mostly, anyway), flavoursome food, whilst Bucky was adjusting from a diet not far from dog food (a thought that never failed to sicken Steve). And whilst Erwin and Levi had not entirely eaten awful food for a long time (their chef had been a magician), they were used to military rations which had meant that despite the large portions in front of them, little of it was eaten.

No one mentioned it when they went to clean up the plates. Steve, despite his predilection for finishing all the food on the plate alongside a super soldier's appetite, understood on a level many could not. Steve washed and dried, happily glancing at Bucky who was not quiet in his appreciations. 

The day continued calmly; Bucky and Levi continued their perpetual contest for best insult whilst landing themselves, with Steve and Erwin, around the too-large TV and watched something new for all of them, whilst Steve sporadically hissed "that's what they meant!" and looked at least a little proud of himself (they really needed to stop just shouting 'surprise motherfucker' everytime he walked into a room; Dexter was an interesting show and all but it didn't really warrant such conviction for shouting the phrase).

The next morning was like any other, give or take a few minor things. It was those specific, almost immaterial, things that altered the course of the entire day. Steve and Erwin didn't even know that they'd altered it themselves as they watched Bucky and Levi violently attempt stabbing each other (like children with pencils, if with more finesse), as per any other day. Their eyes met for a second, maybe less, before they both acquiesced to their thoughts and fled the room, ignoring the shouts of "have fun at your bingo night!" behind them.

Erwin and Steve knew exactly what they were doing but didn't acknowledge it in favour of pressing 'play next' on their Netflix page and enjoying another investigation of an equally brutal murder to the last on-stage victims, sitting just a little bit closer than comfort allowed.

Left to their own devices, Bucky and Levi fought like wild animals, knives scraping at impervious skin, teeth and nails hitting fragile tendons, bones snapping in and out of place. 

Levi grunted as he ducked and parried the sharp swing of Bucky's knife, taking out Bucky's leg from beneath him. It didn't affect the score, Levi certainly wasn't winning, but with Bucky pinned beneath Levi, it seemed like a fair enough place to stop. Bucky lay on his back to catch his breath, letting the knife drop to the floor, haphazardly close to his head; he watched Levi move, off Bucky and into a crouch, perched on the balls of his feet, hand at the perfect place to reach Bucky's knife if the fight were to continue.

Levi's chest caved as he let out a breath, spine deflating and curling inwards as his pointed fingers fell flat, his palm touching the floor. Bucky sat up, his legs tucked under Levi still, leaning back on his forearms, leaning on his left for comfort and ease. 

"Can you feel anything?" Levi asked, indicating Bucky's left - metal - arm. Bucky shrugged, looking down at the metal arm with a state of disinterest, twisting it to watch the light sparks flicker. "Pressure. Minor sensations. Stark upgraded it a bit. Nothing much; enough that it shouldn't hurt when I punch something. That kinda defeats the point of having a metal arm." Levi nodded, unapologetically reaching for the arm, tracing his fingers in the golden lines - like Kinstugi - revelling in the gentle folding of the metal at each touch.

Bucky watched Levi softly, a frown setting his lips but a happiness bursting in his chest. Levi's lithe fingers ran down the patterns until they laced with Bucky's. "How much of this can you feel?" He asks as if it were a science experiment. 

"Pretty much all of it," Bucky admits honestly, letting out a breath; he can, he can imagine what it feels like on his flesh even now, he can imagine what it would be like and his brain prints that image onto it. A phantom sensation.

But the best one he's ever had.

Levi nodded thoughtfully, his hand suddenly coming up to cup Bucky's cheek, subtly stroking a thumb against the gentle protrusion of his cheekbone. "Fuck, I'm shit at this," he muttered under his breath, closing his eyes and composing himself before looking up, steel-grey locking on blue. 

"I really don't think you are," Bucky confirms. "Hell," he admits, "I think you're doing great." Bucky focused on the sensation of Levi's thumb to ignore the pounding of guilt in his heart, blended with the joy and lust and love boiling in his gut. With a heavy heart, he ignored the rampant shout of his conscience.

"You're a liar, shithead."

"Midget," Bucky relayed perfunctorily. 

When their lips crashed together, it was with a sudden, unbound desperation. Levi's fingers tangled tightly in Bucky's hair, Bucky's metal fingers trapping Levi's frail-looking hand. Bucky broke off first, breath heavy against Levi's lips. "I love Steve," he forced out, whilst leaning in again. Levi followed his movements. "I love Erwin," he said like it was obvious. 

"What the hell are we doing?" Bucky hissed, mentally punishing himself but letting his lips brush Levi's.

"Who the fuck knows," Levi stated and suddenly it was chaos. They were kissing, laughing, kissing, joking, laughing until Levi snorted at Bucky's girlish giggle. Bucky's head hit Levi's shoulder, face tucked in his neck, arms wrapping around Levi's neck, spine bent downwards for him to just fit in the position. "I'm such a mess."

"Aren't we all?"

"You seem pretty put together," Bucky complained teasingly. 

"Fuck that shit. Erwin banned me from public events because I once got so shit-faced that I puked on a sponsor's shoes. And the only reason I drank in the first place was because I was jealous of seeing his ex. It was awful, embarrassing and lost us a shit tonne of money. I'm no fucking lightweight but I was reckless and I was young and I never did it again. But, I did it nonetheless."

"You know, I said that once to Steve. Not exactly. But I did it. It was me. Can't deny that."

"Stop being a shithead and cheer up," Levi complained, whacking Bucky's head with a scowl.

"I ever tell you how much I like your swearing?" Bucky smirked.

"Fuck you."

"What?! I'm honest, promise. It's funny to me. Steve's always so reluctant nowadays; he says it's part of his new image." 

"Ha," Levi laughed humorously. "I get that. Erwin's the politest shithead I've ever met. Don't know how he deals with me, the middle-class shithead."

"I'm assuming the same can't be said for you then. What did you call it again, the Underground?" Levi scoffed, agilely falling down and sitting between Bucky's legs, back facing Bucky's chest. He leant back, relishing in the way Bucky's head rested atop of his, just as Erwin always refused to do (the man was not much for contact; he showed love in a different way, not dissimilar to Levi's own methods). He focused on the comfort and not the knawing thoughts that invaded him (someone could walk in, someone could see them, see him, with another man, it would be...)

Fine.

He needed to remember that.

"There were three walls and the richer you were, the more you were behind. But, as life goes, overpopulation became a bitch and they made a fourth section. Underground. In hopes that they could spread out the population more (or at least, that's what Erwin claimed, I'm not a fucking intellect). They made the hellhole I was born in and called it the Unground, fucking unoriginal if you ask me, and then they realised the whole massive problem with it all. Corruption. I didn't see the sun until I was fucking twenty, or something around then, because some bullshit guards decided we had to pay but guess what, all the good jobs were above the surface so there wasn't exactly any way to get fucking money without resorting to crime. I saw more people die of an illness that I'd ever care to admit. I grew up a part of a gang  and it may have been fucking good but it still wasn't a good crowd." Levi paused, frowned and apologised for his rant. "Sorry, I don't talk about it often. Erwin's fucking fight for freedom shit is rubbing off on me." 

Bucky nodded, ignoring his apology, and asked "how'd you meet Erwin then? If you were from such different background," he elaborated. 

Levi barked a humourless laugh. "He arrested me. I tried to kill him. People died, people close to me. A truce was made. A few years later and I was his right-hand man. Ask him, not me. I just took what I was given. And then this whole fucking romance shit began, pretty much by accident," Levi shrugged.

Bucky snorted, "sounds familiar". Levi frowned and looked up at Bucky questioningly. "It started differently, I guess, but Steve and I grew up together. We went to war together. But...I got kidnapped. He saved me that time, walking in with all this muscle and height and god knows what else: a disgraceful amount of righteousness, probably. And it was just my luck that I fucking fell off a train trying to protect him. Got kidnapped, again (you'll understand that that's a running theme). Steve died, I was presumed dead. Then, I ended up in a bad crowd. Okay, maybe not by choice but I promise you, whatever you have done to survive, I have done a thousand times worse." Bucky's face falls, an imperfect version of the Winter Soldier cracking across his features. "Steve had come back from the dead, I was back from the dead, he tried to arrest me, or save me, ask him, and I tried to kill him. And in the process, a lot of people died. We made a truce, quite a while later, and I became his right-hand man and best friend again. The lover thing...I don't know, that came later too.  It just seemed natural." Bucky sighed and huffed a laugh. "Fuck, we're both a bit fucked up, aren't we?"

Levi shrugged, his face impassive. He focused on the past, the bits in between weren't worth mentioning, not for either of them. "So you and Steve were both pretty well off then? Steve looks like the kinda guy that grew up wealthy."

Bucky barked a laugh involuntarily. "Nah, Steve and I were dirt poor. Could barely afford food, nevermind have money to spare. Two bachelors in a single apartment during the Depression (look it up) was not an easy way to live. Steve's dad had died when he was real young; his mum struggled to pay for the two of them. With the amount of relatives I had, we had backup but I had enough siblings that I wasn't much better off. If I'm honest, don't remember much. I know you still don't really know much of the whole story but what happened to me, it changed me, and not just because of trauma or whatever they call it. They took my memories away. They're there, sorta. Not really. They kinda come in glimpses, enough to put together a wider picture but details are a bit... fuzzy. Except for a few, mostly to do with Steve - he's really been helpin' me." Bucky's face fell but a soft smile graced his lips. Levi turned just enough to press his lips against Bucky's softly, cupping his face: it could express more than Levi ever could in words. 

Tentatively, Bucky wrapped his arms around Levi, pulling him to face him. He stared him down, eyes softening but heart clenching. "I really do love Steve," Bucky admitted again. "I want this but I love him. This shouldn't happen if-" Pain warped Bucky's voice as he choked, panic settling in. Steve was the one stable thing he had in this life. If he lost Steve, he lost-

Everything.

"Stop it," Levi said seriously, the intensity in his eyes stripping Bucky of all his protective layers. He seemed to forget that, just like Steve, Levi was a force of nature, a storm that Bucky was in the eye of. "I love Erwin, don't think this changes anything about that. And you're right, this doesn't feel fucking right but this shit doesn't mean I love him any less so don't you dare try and claim that it does, for my feelings or for yours. I'm not good with this emotional shit," Levi claimed "but honesty, that I'm good at. I'm not leaving Erwin and he knows I won't. But I want to give this a chance." He sighed, heart pounding. Experimentally, he looked up, letting his own layers peel away. "I don't want this to end before it's begun." Levi scrambled to put the words together, admitting what he never could before. He'd remained silent for so much of his life - the less you say, the less they know - but it was time the whirlwind of his mind spilt out of his lips. Determination drove him past the unsureness, the awkwardness and the cravenness. 

"Steve and I have been through so much, fought for each other so long; what if he takes it the wrong way, what if he thinks he means less to me. I can't do that to him," Bucky forced out; for all his heart drove him forward, his mind reeled him back.

"I get that but haven't you noticed?" Levi said. Bucky looked down at him, confused. "They left. They never leave without us. Pretty sure they left us alone for a reason; I can always tell when Erwin's planning something." Bucky looked surprised, eyes flickering between the door, the camera and Levi, all in the space of a second. "We have to tell them because if we're misreading this-"

"Yeah, we will. I'm not taking that risk either. But let's not do this now. We see where this goes, let them see it, let them grow used to it and then we'll have that conversation. If either of them voice disapproval, we stop," Levi said logically.

"And you say you're bad with words," Bucky complained, leaning down for his forehead to rest against Levi's, his fingers slipping between the raven tresses of Levi's hair. "But we're not gonna hide, right? Not flaunting or anything but I don't wanna hide. I've had enough of that for a lifetime, midget."

Levi smiled against his will, stealing a kiss from Bucky's lips. "Deal, shithead." 


	6. Chapter 6

**_THE FUTURE IS ABLAZE_ **

A week passed and although Bucky and Levi had in no way hidden the new development between them, neither Erwin nor Steve had mentioned it at all. Whether they were blissfully ignorant or just scared of addressing the problem, the new couple was unsure. Either way, it wasn't mentioned. So, on the day that marked exactly two months since the Survey Corps had been transported into the tower, neither of them really expected any of this to happen.

The morning ran as usual apart from one thing that felt eerily familiar. Bucky and Levi trained whilst Erwin and Steve snuck out of the room, the two old men laughing gently under their breath. “Are they even trying to hide it?!” Steve shook his head incredulously, shutting the door behind him, just in time to see Bucky throw Levi to the ground and straddle him.

Erwin’s deep chuckle resonated throughout the corridor as he placed a firm hand on Steve’s shoulder. “I really don’t think they are. Levi’s subtle but I can already see that Bucky is far from it.”

Steve groaned. “Don’t I know it.” They laughed together until they got back to the apartment. As was their routine, they put on the TV and sat next to (cuddled) each other on the sofa, watching some TV show that some other Avenger had raved about (or, in the latest case, Eren had shouted about how heartbreaking it was and he dared everyone to watch it and not cry just to prove something to Peter). Taking it as a challenge, Steve and Erwin were around three-quarters through the first season and neither of them had cried (they'd both stifled tears but neither would admit to it).

Somewhere during the finale, Steve’s head had ended up on Erwin’s shoulder, his voice gently speaking over the dramatic breakup scene on the screen, both of them withholding tears. In an attempt to ignore what was going on, Steve sank into wistful nostalgia. 

“Sometimes I wish I was smaller again,” he complained, shuffling closer to Erwin's side. Erwin looked down, a calm collection present on his worried face; Steve continued. “When I was young, before the Serum, I must have been smaller than Levi and I know it wasn’t all great and getting beaten to a pulp wasn’t all that fun but I miss it sometimes: being able to curl up into someone’s side or pretend to be cute in order to get favours from a closeted man. It was good.” Steve’s smile was both gentle and calm, with only a trace of happiness, the peace radiating from it more than a simple emotion. Erwin’s arm wrapped around Steve’s shoulder and brought him closer, the TV now simple background noise to their quiet conversation. 

“There’s something scary about being the one that looks like they are the Alpha male, the dominant, whatever you want to call it. It’s a pressure that can suffocate you.” Erwin admitted, sighing.

Steve nodded into his shoulder, arms curling around Erwin’s waist, reverting into an almost childlike pose. “I want to be able to blend in again. Since I woke up, I’ve been in the public eye more often than not. I’ve lost all semblance of privacy. Not that I had any in the army but...at least then I knew what I was working for. I don’t think I’m sure of that anymore. I’m the leader - or as you say, a dominant figure of sorts - but I don’t have any idea of what’s going on. It scares me.” Steve didn't know what impulse forced the words out of his mouth but he realised that they were startling true. He was scared - so scared - he didn't think he could hide that any longer.

Erwin pulled him impossibly closer. “I was a leader back then too. Of a whole army." He paused, mulling over his next words. "I have killed thousands upon thousands of soldiers,” guilt ripped into his words. “I have led every single one of them to their death. People thanked me, said I was a good leader, that I was taking the army somewhere good but they were all soldiers or fighters, all people who had committed their own atrocities, no matter how big or small. The public, the politicians, the media called me the Devil, said I was merciless; I went to people’s doors and told them their sons and daughters were dead and they blamed me. They deserved to. But I was so scared; my hand used to shake like mad. It was always Levi’s confidence that brought me through and the thought that no matter what I did, I was only doing what I believed was right. I learnt to put the mask of perfection on and I didn’t let it slip." He breathed in, deep and loud, letting the shaking subside (he didn't want to say this; he had to say this; he had to tell someone). And then I suddenly get taken to this new place and all those fears are taken away but its place is just as many.” 

Steve shifted onto Erwin’s laps, straddling his lap and wrapped his arms tightly around Erwin’s neck. His eyes, despite the TV long since falling into sleep-mode, were brimming with tears, the watery blues looking up into Erwin’s, the colour almost congruent. 

The touch of their lips was inevitable, Erwin’s calloused fingers mirroring the pattern of Steve’s own and tangling in each other’s blonde hair. The similarities between them almost made Steve choke out a laugh against Erwin’s lips. “This feels almost egotistical.” Steve breathes out. 

Erwin shrugs but understands. “It’s what people say I am, I’m glad to own up it if this is what they mean.” They smile and bring their lips together again, the tears fading, leaving their cheeks clear as their lips move against each other. 

They didn’t split even when the door slammed open and the other sweaty half of their foursome (Quad-couple? Quad? Four-couple? Just friends?) panted as they rammed through the door laughing. In an instant, the room fell deadly silent and Steve finally pulled away from Erwin, smiling as he pressed his forehead against Erwin’s. Finally dragging himself away, remaining in Erwin’s lap, he turned to the other pair. “Hello.” Steve smiled, almost innocently, shifting himself so that his legs were draped over Erwin’s, his ass and feet planted either side of Erwin’s lap, his head tucked into the crook of the other man’s shoulder.

“Okay, well, hello?” Bucky replied, examining the pair scrutinously. 

“Hello,” Erwin replied, eyeing Levi, who was deathly silent.

“He~y,” Levi replied suspiciously, none of them addressing the thick tension in the room.

“Is this some sort of revenge thing?” Bucky asked first, looking between the pair of them.

“You really think that? We know you guys are a couple - or something like that - now we're not exactly petty enough to get revenge for that. Anyway, why would we? We basically instigated it,” Steve said with a scrunched face then shrugging it off nonchalantly as he burrowed into Erwin’s side, the previous conversation leaving him raw and in need for someone else to take control of the conversation. 

Levi gave Bucky a look that said it all before he muttered: “I told you so.” Bucky snorted a laugh at the same time as Steve, their eyes locking and smiles lighting up their faces. 

Steve sighed before he pushed away from Erwin just slightly, not moving his body but lifting his head enough that he could speak clearly. “Levi, can you come here a second. I need to do something.” Although suspicious, Levi complied - he trusted Steve, even more so now that Erwin showed that he did too - walking slowly until he was in front of Steve, ignoring the pang of the disdain as he practically matched Steve’s height, even though he was the only one standing. 

Steve shifted, almost like he was attempting to get comfortable, ignoring the crippling rapid beat of his heart, before he ran a hand through the hair on the back of Levi’s head and pulled him down into a kiss. Steve smiled into it before pushing away lightly, breathing the words against Levi’s lips, chuckling: “you may not look the same but that is eerily like kissing Bucky.” Levi flushed red but said nothing as he pulled away and tucked himself onto the other side of Erwin, pulling Steve’s feet onto his lap, tracing a small pattern of moles down the top of his foot, trying to hide the smile that passed over his lips as he looked from Steve to Bucky to Erwin. 

Erwin smirked before holding a hand up, clearly signifying that Bucky would take it. Matching the smile with equal mischievousness, Bucky took the hand as well as Erwin’s lips, kissing with far more fervour than necessary, winking at an awed Steve as he pulled away. Bucky slid into place on the other side of Steve, back resting on Steve’s shoulder, his eyes trailing out onto the New York skyline, facing away from the others.

“So, for the sake of clarity, what the fuck just happened? What is this?” Bucky asked, raising an eyebrow and twisting just enough that he could see the other three.

Steve shrugged. “I don’t know. A relationship? Just... doubled? Just something casual, I don't really know what you guys want it to be...” he trailed off awkwardly, hiding his face in the juncture of Erwin's neck and letting out a deep breath, trying to compose himself.

“Yeah, yeah, I know but if we’re gonna do this I better know what the fuck is going on and how this is going to work. This isn’t normal shit here so let’s put everything out on the table. First thing that’s been on my mind since the beginning of this crap fest, jealousy?”

Levi threw his idea in. “I already said that Erwin and I are close, you guys aren’t getting in the way of that.” 

Erwin agreed, smiling. “We’ve all been through a lot, jealousy would be unnecessary unless you are feeling any? We’d need to address that now.”

Bucky shook his head. “No, it just feels a bit weird. Couples don’t just get together, that, like, just doesn’t happen.”

“Sure it does," Steve interrupted; Bucky glared at him. "Okay, maybe it’s not common, but it’s a thing.”

“What is? Double couples?” Bucky snorted like the words were funny on his tongue.

“It’s called polyamory. Peggy told me when I…” Steve’s voice faded into a mere mumble “possibly admitted that I had feelings for you just after she kissed me.” Unfortunately, with super soldier hearing - and Erwin being right next to him - all of them could hear.

Bucky let out a startled laugh. “Steve! You finally got a dame and you fucking told her about me! You idiot!” Steve smiled and joined in. “I know! I know! It was bad, okay? I get it. But she said she didn’t mind, she would share. Didn’t have a name back then but I looked it up when I got back - just for research purposes." He paused. "Some nights were worse than others,” he admitted. 

Bucky smiled. “I don’t know what to say, should I be happy or sad that you were planning to share me all along?” Bucky’s laugh that followed tore away the guilt that threatened Steve’s mind but it wasn’t quite enough to stop him from throwing his arms around Bucky’s shoulder from behind, dragging him onto his lap until he was like a koala on Bucky’s back. “Hey!” Bucky complained indignantly, playfully struggling before heaving a sigh and leaning back into Steve’s arms, his side resting against Erwin's chest. 

Erwin and Levi smiled at them. Levi quickly clambered onto Erwin’s lap and rested his head on Bucky’s shoulder, relishing in the way that Erwin’s arm was wrapped around him and Steve (they all seemed to forget that Erwin was not a supersoldier and could, in fact, be crushed). “Any more problems?” Erwin asked the group (again, they all ignored the slight strain in his voice), garnering a unanimous shake of the head. “Good because I was starting to enjoy myself.” The group laughed together, playfully shoving each other as they started to fall over. Kisses slowly becoming a pattern, jealousy not yet entrapping them, even if the looming threat hung over them.

They’d learnt by now that happiness was something to relish and not something to throw away on thoughts of future sadness.


	7. Epilogue

**_THE FUTURE IS MY FRIEND:_ **

“Cap, you’ve got incoming!” Stark addressed through the comms, causing Steve to let his shield fly into another alien dickhead that was trying to sneak up on him. “Winter, I’m gonna need backup, these idiots are starting to gang up on me.” With a heaving sigh, Bucky replied. “Fine but the midget’s gonna have to cover for me over here.” Knowing Bucky wasn’t going to give a direct order, Steve talked through the comms once again and addressed Levi: “Magnolia, cover Winter in the East quadrant.” Levi gave a hum of understanding before moving. Despite the initial teasing for the girlish ‘superhero title’ of Magnolia, he’d stood by his decision and upon explaining the significance of the name - Isabel and Farlan would not be forgotten, even if half a century had passed - everyone had gracefully shut up about it.

“I need air coverage.” Erwin’s voice rang through the speakers.

“Spiderman, the Titan, cover 13.” Despite the unoriginality of Erwin’s name - a simple 13 as an ode to his previous title and life - it was practical and quick to write down and Steve hadn’t tried to argue with him on it (he’d quickly learnt that although Steve himself was stubborn, Erwin had a way of twisting his words until Steve played right into his hands. It was both terrifying and amazing to watch; Levi’s blunt approach had started to make a lot more sense). 

“On it!” Peter and Eren shouted down the speaker before the whirring up webs and wires screeched through the lines. A loud groan interrupted the sound. “Ugh!” Hanji exclaimed. “Never thought I’d miss out on flying but seriously, science is fun, observation is bo~ring,” she complained through her microphone back at the tower. 

“Tell me about it,” Tony murmured bitterly - he was still angry that Steve had ordered him out of the action. For this mission he was apparently ‘unnecessary’ and whilst he hadn’t meant to it harshly, Tony was prone to melodrama and had immediately taken it to heart and had complained for the next three hours of mission planning (seriously, though, these aliens had guns that would destroy Tony's suit in a second (fucking magnets) and Steve would rather not watch him fall out of the sky again).

“Numbers have dropped by half but I think the boss is coming out,” Armin informed, ignoring his partners' cries of boredom, his eyes watching the observation screens religiously. 

A loud sniff resonated through the communication system. “Yep, definitely the big guy. He’s heading towards Winter and Cap.”

“Thanks, Mute.” The name may have begun as a joke for his lack of speech and reliance on smell but after a while, it had just stuck and no one had the energy to try and change it. It was certainly better than the other suggestions: sniffer, nose-man or smeller, something worse. “Everyone convene South of the tower, we’re going to need full manpower.” 

One by one, the group came together, back to back in a way that reminded Steve, terrifyingly, of the first New York attack he'd been party to. With his shield in hand, Bucky on his left and Erwin on his right, Levi right by his back, he felt a flood of courage that he hadn't had in so long. The boss, a large metal contraption with a single, threateningly large man - alien - on top, stomped forward; Steve didn't even flinch.

They pulled together to make a plan of attack, weapons at the ready but it was Mikasa - now named Red for the scarf she always wore - that won them the battle. Almost silently, she split off from the group, informing Natasha, who then informed Steve, of her plan. Despite his irritation - and maybe secret gratefulness - that his leadership had been overrun, her plan was a good one and it led to the alien plummeting off the commandeered vehicle; the final battle was short and simple, quickly clearing out the final soldiers.

By now, at least, New Yorkers were immune to the shock and fear that usually came with an alien attack and the oddly easy win had everyone at ease with the situation, even if the more experienced soldiers felt an unsettling unease at the speed of the battle, meaning that clear up and the cancellation of the evacuation was as simple and easy as the battle itself.

The group trudged back to the tower together and settled for a Chinese takeaway before they went their separate ways, the still-kind-of-secret-but-not-really quad (they’d chosen the name for simplicity’s sake) retiring to their shared apartment. 

Steve fell onto the sofa first, followed by Levi who lay his head in Steve’s lap and wrapped his arms around the man's waist. “Since when did you become so tactile?” Erwin teased as he took a place next to Steve and ran a hand - metal, a perfect match to Bucky's arm with the exception of the Survey Corps logo painted just where the star has used to be on Bucky's and the golden lines a deep green - through Levi’s hair. Bucky, still pent up from battle, leaned over the back of the sofa, his head resting on Erwin’s from behind, pressing a gentle kiss into his hair. “Happy six-month anniversary of becoming millennials.” 

“Stop going on about that, shithead. I refuse to be one of those,” Levi shuddered, “things”. 

Steve leant down with a smile and pressed his lips to Levi’s forehead, a sly grin taking over the gentleness of the affection. “I mean, biologically we are.”

Levi hits him playfully. “Not you too, fucker! Erwin back me up here!” 

“I have nothing to add to this.”

“You bastard!” Levi complains and burrows his face into Steve’s stomach. “I get no help around here.” 

Silent rang comfortingly through the room as the conversation ended. The peaceful quiet let them relish in their thoughts, straying to and from the battle. 

Steve looked at the room around him, his heart aching. He’d come to the future so scared and alone, thinking that not a single person would ever understand him, then Bucky had come back and they’d fallen in love, despite the hardship they’d both faced - Bucky so much more than him - and Steve had his childhood best friend back and a man who could relate to him, even if their experiences varied wildly. Then Levi and Erwin had turned up, scared but determined, going through just what he had and it had clicked. Steve had cared about them since day one because someone understood him. But, that was almost unimportant because what he knew was that he understood them. He could help them in a way that he’d never been able to before. He was sick of being the weak one, even if sometimes he wished to be small again. He was sick of being useless, of being helped. He wanted to be the one to help this time.

Steve's eyes trailed down to the soft pout on Levi's face, unable to overcome the smile that came over him. Peacefully, he brought his hand's to Levi's ear, tracing the edge. It all clicked with such ease then. He should have known from the start. He probably had. It was just so simple. “I love you.” He murmured at Levi, his hand tangling with Erwin’s in Levi’s hair. Levi immediately darted backwards, staring at Steve with wide-eyes. “I love you,” Steve repeated, too sure of himself to feel any fear at the chance of it being unreciprocated. 

He turned to Erwin, a sweet smile on his lips. “I love you.” He said again, pressing his lips against Erwin’s. Finally, he let his head fall back, staring at Bucky before giving him an upside-down kiss. “And I love you too, until the end of the line,” Bucky smirked and pressed his lips back on Steve’s, pulling away only because of the awkward angle.

“Such a sap,” Bucky complained.

“Ugh, I agree,” Levi added, though staring at Steve with an awe-filled expression. 

“I think it’s sweet.” Erwin smiled, turning Steve’s chin so he could kiss him again. “I love you too.” He murmured against Steve’s lips. 

“I love you too,” Bucky added, his lips pressed against Erwin’s hair, the words vaguely directed at everyone and anyone. 

“I guess this means that I have to say it, don’t I?” Levi complained, a smile quirking his lips despite his reluctance. At the simple sight of Levi’s rare, true smiles - no smirks, no teasing, just a smile - Steve stroked his hand through Levi’s hair once again, brushing through the loose strands and shrugged. “If you want.” Steve wasn’t trying to force anything, he wanted them to all to be comfortable.

“Just to be clear, when I say something I mean it, okay?” Steve nodded, worried that he was about to hear something he didn’t want to. His chest decompressed as the words spilt from Levi’s lips, the smile not slipping. “I love you too.”

**_BECAUSE THE FUTURE HAS YOU._ **


End file.
